A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 1

Acta geológica lilloana

Volumen 21

— Suplemento —

Abstracts of the
9th International Conference on Fluvial Sedimentology

Fundación Miguel Lillo

— 2009 —
2 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9

Acta geológica lilloana

Serie publicada por la Fundación Miguel Lillo, que tiene como objetivo divulgar trabajos originales
sobre ciencias geológicas y afines. Los trabajos son evaluados por árbitros externos e internos.
Correo electrónico: actageologicalilloana@gmail.com

I S S N 0 5 6 7 – 7 5 1 3

© 2009, Fundación Miguel Lillo. Todos los derechos reservados.

Fundación Miguel Lillo

Miguel Lillo 251
(4000) San Miguel de Tucumán
Argentina
Telefax +54 381 433 0868
www.lillo.org.ar

Editora de Acta geológica lilloana: Ana Fogliata

Secretaria editorial: Lucía Ibañez
Secretaria del Área Geología: Rosa Molina
Editor gráfico: Gustavo Sánchez

Comité editorial:
Dra. Ana S. Fogliata (Coordinadora) (Fundación Miguel Lillo, Facultad de Cs. Naturales, UNT )
Dra. Lucía Ibañez (Secretaria) (Fundación Miguel Lillo, Facultad de Cs. Naturales, UNT )
Dra. Judith Babot (Prosecretaria) (Fundación Miguel Lillo, Facultad de Cs. Naturales, UNT )
Dr. Pablo Grosse (Fundación Miguel Lillo, CONICET )
Dr. Hugo A. Carrizo (Fundación Miguel Lillo)
Dr. Sergio Georgieff (Facultad de Cs. Naturales, UNT , CONICET )

Editores asociados:
Dr. Carlos L. Azcuy (CONICET )
Dr. Eduardo Piovano (CONICET , Universidad Nacional de Córdoba)
Dr. Franco M. Tortello ( CONICET , Universidad Nacional de La Plata)

Publicación indexada en las siguientes bases de datos:

Bulletin Signalétique, Biosis Previews, Latindex, Periodica, Referativnyi Zhurnal

Canjes:
Centro de Información Geo-Biológico del Noroeste Argentino,
Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, (4000) San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
Correo electrónico: biblioteca@lillo.org.ar

Ref. bibliográfica: Acta geol. lilloana 21, Suplemento, 2009.

Periodicidad: un volumen anual en dos números.

Impresión: Artes Gráficas Crivelli.

Propiedad intelectual Nº 315450.
Prohibida su reproducción total o parcial.
Impreso en la Argentina.
Printed in Argentina.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 3

Abstracts of the
9th International Conference on Fluvial Sedimentology

24-28 August, 2009

San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina

Organization:
Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
Fundación Miguel Lillo

ORGANISING COMMITTE

Sergio M. Georgieff
— Convenor —

Sebastián Moyano
— Secretary —

María Soledad Bustos

— Finance —

Gerardo E. Bossi
— Scientific Coordinator —

Lucía M. Ibañez
— Publication Coordinator —

María Eugenia Vides

— Scientific Programme Organizer —

Guillermo F. Aceñolaza
— Excursion Coordinator —
4 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9

9th ICFS is sponsored by

AGENCIA NACIONAL DE PROMOCIÓN CIENTÍFICA Y TÉCNICA

ASOCIACIÓN ARGENTINA DE SEDIMENTOLOGÍA

ASOCIACIÓN PALEONTOLÓGICA ARGENTINA

COLEGIO DE GRADUADOS EN CIENCIAS GEOLÓGICAS DE TUCUMÁN

CONSEJO DELIBERANTE DE SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMÁN

ENTE CULTURAL TUCUMÁN

ENTE TUCUMÁN TURISMO

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS NATURALES E INSTITUTO MIGUEL LILLO

FUNDACIÓN MIGUEL LILLO

HONORABLE LEGISLATURA DE TUCUMÁN

INSTITUTO DE ESTRATIGRAFÍA Y GEOLOGÍA SEDIMENTARIA GLOBAL

INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE AGUA DE LA NACIÓN

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SEDIMENTOLOGISTS

MUNICIPALIDAD DE SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMÁN

SECRETARIA DE CULTURA DE TUCUMÁN

UNIDAD DE NEGOCIOS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMÁN

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Preface and Acknowledgements

This volume contains abstracts presented to the 9th International Con-

ference on Fluvial Sedimentology, held at the Universidad Nacional de
Tucumán in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina between 24th and 28th
August, 2009. The 9th ICFS was co-organized between Universidad Na-
cional de Tucumán and Fundación Miguel Lillo.

This volume is a Suplemento, Special Publication, of the Acta

Geológica Lilloana Journal, Miguel Lillo Foundation.

We should like to thank all those involved in the organization of the

9th ICFS:
The abstracts were printed due to the generous support of Miguel Lillo
Foundation; special thanks to the Honorable Advisor Commission, its
President Dr. Jorge L. Rougés, the General Director, Lic. Ana María
Frías de Fernández, the Director of Geology, Dr. Ana Lía Ahumada, the
former Director, Dr. Hugo A. Carrizo, and the Chief Editor of Acta
Geológica Lilloana, Dr. Ana S. Fogliata.
The volume has been edited by Dr. Lucía M. Ibañez. Special thanks to
Lic Gustavo Sánchez, who provided the final fit to print this volume.
Mrs. Macarena Cárdenas Ypa realized a hard and tireless work in the
organization of Conference venue, travels and accommodations of Key
Note Lecturers.
Lecturers provided interesting keynotes and agreed to form the Award
Committee.
Field excursion leaders are thanked for the time and effort they devot-
ed to planning, running and preparing the excursions and the field
guides.
The Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Técnica supported
the organization and travels of Lecturers.
The International Association of Sedimentologists sponsored travel
grants for students.
The Ente Tucumán Turismo de Tucumán provided hotel accommoda-
tions for Lecturers.
The Instituto de Estratigrafía y Geología Sedimentaria Global spon-
sored the Conference Venue and others additional supports involved in
the organization.
The Unidad de Negocios of the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
helped the organizers with the finances; special thanks to its Director, Dr.
Andrea Guraiib, Ms. Andrea Cavanna and Mr. Mario Abaca.
The Municipalidad de San Miguel de Tucumán provided posters and
pamphlets.

SERGIO M. GEORGIEFF
Convenor, 9th ICFS
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Field Excursion Leaders

Pre – Conference Field Excursions

1.- From the Cretaceous rift to the Pliocene Foreland basins (NW Ar-
gentina): Tectonic and Sedimentation
Cecilia Del Papa - CONICET.

2.- Evolution of the Fluvial System in The Tertiary Andean Foreland

Basin (Precordillera, Argentina)
Carlos O. Limarino. Universidad de Buenos Aires – CONICET.

3.- Fluvial Syntectonic Features in Cenozoic Pampean Deposits

Gerardo E. Bossi, Sergio M. Georgieff and Sebastián Moyano, Universidad Nacional
de Tucumán – CONICET.

Mid – Conference Field Excursions

4.- Mezoic and Cenozoic Fluvial Deposits of Northern Tucumán

Gerardo E. Bossi and Sebastián Moyano, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán -
CONICET.

5.- San Javier - Raco, Precambrian, Creaceous-Neogene

Guillermo Aceñolaza, INSUGEO - CONICET. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán

6.- Tafí and Amaicha Valleys: Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental

Neogene Evolution
Miriam M. Collantes, Lucía M. Ibañez, and José Busnelli, Universidad Nacional de
Tucumán – Fundación Miguel Lillo.

Post – Conference Field Excursions

7.- Paraná River, Miocene to Present

Oscar Orfeo, CONICET – Universidad Nacional del Nordeste.

8.- Sedimentary Evolution of the Golfo San Jorge Basin, Central Pata-
gonia, Argentina
José Paredes, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco.

Responsibility for the contents of these abstracts rests upon the authors and not the Miguel Lillo Foundation
nor Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Data presented and conclusions developed by the authors are for infor-
mation only and are not intended for use without independent substantiating investigation on the part of the
potential user.

When conference abstracts are cited, this volume should be referred to as: Lucía M. Ibañez (Ed.), Abstracts,
9th International Conference on Fluvial Sedimentology. Acta geológica lilloana 21 (2), Suplemento, 2009. San
Miguel de Tucumán.
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Keynotes

generated in different sized bed sediment.

ON THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN The talk will conclude with examples of how
TURBULENT FLOWS, SEDIMENT bedforms are key in understanding some of
TRANSPORT AND BEDFORM the larger-scale aspects of river channel mor-
DEVELOPMENT IN ALLUVIAL CHANNELS: phodynamics, and highlight some areas of
28 YEARS ON current research that raise issues concerning
Jim Best bedform development in both laminar and
Departments of Geology and Geography and Ven Te turbulent flows and the scaling of bedforms
Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory, University of Illinois, within unidirectional flows.
Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA. jimbest@illinois.edu
References
Understanding the interactions between
the trinity of turbulent flow, mobile sediment Jackson, R.G. (1976) Sedimentological and flu-
and bedform development lies at the heart of id-dynamic implications of the turbulent
bursting phenomenon in geophysical flows.
interpreting fluvial form and process. This J. Fluid Mech. 77, 531-560.
‘trinity’ was used as the basis of the seminal Leeder, M.R. (1983) On the interactions be-
paper by Leeder (1983) that arose from the tween turbulent flow, sediment transport
2nd ICFS, held in Keele, UK, in 1981. These and bedform mechanics in channelized
ideas were grounded in the exciting develop- flows. In: Int. Ass. Sedimentol. Spec. Publ.
(Eds. Collinson, J.D. and Lewin, J.), 6, 5-
ments that were made in turbulent boundary 18.
layer research in the late 1970’s, with the
paper of Jackson (1976) being one of the
first that attempted to link turbulent bound-
ROLE OF CONTINENTAL MARGIN INCISED-
ary layer structure with sediment transport,
VALLEY SYSTEMS IN THE EMERGING
bedform generation and stability. Since these
SOURCE-TO-SINK PARADIGM
advances in our thinking in the 1980’s, the
tools that we can use to investigate the com- Mike Blum

plex feedbacks in this trinity have improved ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston,

beyond our 1970/80’s dreams! - in laborato- Texas

ry technology, field methods and numerical

tools. Where has this brought us and what The emerging source-to-sink paradigm
are the key issues that now face us in quanti- seeks to develop a holistic understanding of
fying, understanding and predicting the mor- sediment production, transport, and storage
phodynamics of alluvial bedforms? from source regions in tectonic hinterlands
This talk will review some of the key de- to sinks within deep ocean basins. River sys-
velopments in the field of alluvial bedform tems are an important component, the “to”
morphodynamics over the past 28 years, and in source-to-sink: this presentation discusses
show results from the laboratory (using a how the evolution of incised-valley systems
range of optical and acoustic techniques), in response to allogenic controls play a fun-
field (highlighting acoustic methods) and damental role in modulating sediment trans-
computational modelling (LES realizations of fer across continental margins.
flow over bedforms). This review will encom- Continental margins incised valleys form
pass the feedbacks between bed morphology in response to sea-level fall, as fluvial sys-
and large-scale vorticity, the interactions be- tems extend across newly emergent shelves to
tween bedforms, the influence of fine-grained the lowstand shoreline and shelf margin.
sediment on turbulence modulation within the But what is the shelf, anyway? It has long
flow, and some commonalities of bedforms been recognized that modern shelf margins
8 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
correspond with the depth of sea-level fall
during late Pleistocene lowstands, and nu-
merous studies illustrate the important role
of deltaic progradation during lowstands to
construct the shelf margin. However, a grow-
ing body of evidence now suggests that
shelves are fundamentally terrestrial land-
scape elements (although they clearly have a
marine overprint). The view taken here is
that shelves are essentially the lowstand
coastal plain, river long profiles are graded
to shelf margins, and shelf margins are sim-
ply the end of the fluvial sediment dispersal
system. In this view, the surface across which
rivers extend during sea-level fall is a
byproduct of the fluvial system itself, part of
the equilibrium profile, rather than a surface
inherited from a different suite of processes.
The evolution of linked coastal-plain and
cross-shelf incised-valley systems modulates
source-to-sink sediment routing from ero-
sional continental interiors to deepwater en-
vironments through the storage and export
of sediments. Incised valleys form in a step-
wise manner, with short periods of incision
punctuated by extended periods of lateral
channel migration and valley widening, and
with contemporaneous deposition of chan-
nel-belt sands. Short periods of incision like-
ly produce an insignificant amount of sedi-
ment export, but periods of lateral channel
migration, valley widening, and channel-
belt deposition significantly increase down-
stream flux, such that periods of fluvial dep-
osition within incised valleys correspond to
increased sediment delivery to the shelf mar-
gin and beyond. Moreover, drainage basins
commonly merge as channels extend across
the shelf, such that signals of increased or
decreased flux of sediment to the shelf mar-
gin and beyond may reflect geomorphic re-
sponse to sea-level change —the merging of
drainages as they transit a broad shelf—
rather than changes in sediment supply from
the hinterland.
High-frequency cyclical isostatic adjust-
ments to changes in water and sediment
loads may be intrinsic to the evolution of
incised-valley systems. First, isostatic uplift
of the shelf in response to sea-level fall will
enhance incision, whereas sea-level rise and
flooding of the shelf will have the opposite
effect. Second, the development of incised
valleys results in sediment unloading and
loading, which likely produces a cyclical
pattern of isostatic uplift and subsidence as
well. Cyclical uplift and subsidence, either
due to hydroisostasy or sediment unloading
and loading, should amplify valley incision
and filling, play a key role in development of
valley-fill architecture, and play and impor-
tant role in sediment export or storage.
UNIT-BAR DEPOSITS IN ANCIENT RIVER-
CHANNEL ALLUVIUM
John Bridge
Department of Geological Sciences, Binghamton Uni-
versity, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000.
Modern river-channel deposits comprise
flood-generated sedimentation units, unit-bar
deposits, and compound-bar deposits. Al-
though all of these scales of deposits are rec-
ognized in all modern river-channel depos-
its, unit-bar deposits are not commonly re-
ported from ancient river-channel deposits.
However, unit-bar deposits have been recog-
nized explicitly in ancient river-channel de-
posits by McCabe, Jones, Bridge et al, and
Haszeldine. Ancient unit-bar deposits have
also been misinterpreted by Allen, Roe and
Hermanson. One of the reasons for the ap-
parent lack of unit-bar deposits in ancient
alluvium is because they are very similar to
flood-generated units. Similarities include:
both types of stratasets are dominated by
medium-scale trough cross strata formed by
dunes superimposed on bar surfaces;
stratasets are decimeters to meters thick;
stratasets commonly fine upward from an
erosional base; stratasets commonly have
stratal discontinuities with overlying and
underlying stratasets. Differences are: unit-
bar stratasets are commonly mound-shaped
or dip downstream, and; bases of medium-
scale trough cross sets are variable in dip
and rarely approach the angle of repose,
thus giving rare large-scale cross strata asso-
ciated with the avalanche face of a unit bar.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 9

Here, ancient unit-bar deposits are recog- The sandstone bodies hydrocarbon-bear-
nized in re-interpreted ancient alluvium. ing belong to the Castillo and Bajo Barreal
Formations (Chubut Group). These units are
formed by fluvial channel belts with thick-
SEDIMENTOLOGICAL AND STRATIGRAPHIC nesses from 2m to 10-12m and widths be-
MODELS: INTEGRATION AMONG SCIENCE, tween few tens of meters to 600m. The
TECHNOLOGY AND OIL INDUSTRY. channel belts flowed onto a silt-sandstone
EXAMPLES IN OIL FIELD OF GOLFO SAN floodplain toward east or southeast as iso-
JORGE BASIN, CHUBUT AND SANTA lated fluvial belts. The floodplain deposits
CRUZ PROVINCES, ARGENTINA are represented by splays and splay-channels
Luciano Di Benedettto with a high proportion of volcanic ashes and
YPF SA, Av. Libertador 520, Km3, 9000 - Comodoro volcaniclastic deposits like surges and la-
Rivadavia, Argentina. ldibenedettor@ypf.com hars. Even channel belts show high propor-
tion of volcaniclastic and pyroclastic materi-
At the present, Argentina has five main als. Thus, the poro-permeability characteris-
oil basins and even some new efforts are con- tics are very variable into the same sand-
ducted to explore its marine platform. YPF stone bodies and the induced fractures are
SA is working in the all basins and has also normal in the primary oil recovery.
realized exploration in the named frontier The sedimentological and stratigraphic
basins. studies allowed to understand the deposition-
Since 1907, the Golfo San Jorge Basin al setting of Chubut Group in the The Guad-
(GSJB) is the pioneer oil basin in Argentina al Area through the merge of surface and
and already has produced 0,3 Mbbl/days and subsurface data (outcrops, wells, 3D seismic,
14,713Mm3/days gas. The main production geochemistry of oils, mudstone composition,
of oil is coming from Cretaceous fluvial de- petrography, and poro-permeability studies).
posits. The principal characteristic of the oil
field production is a rapid development, for
instance since middle ’90 the drillings were AN OVERVIEW OF EROSION AND
around 200 wells per year, only by YPF SA. SEDIMENTATION PROBLEMS IN FLUVIAL
These intensive developments become a daily SYSTEMS OF NORTHERN ARGENTINA
challenge to optimization the production Hector Daniel Farias
and keep hydrocarbon reserves. Instituto de Recursos Hídricos, Universidad Nacional
The GSJB was an extensional basin dur- de Santiago del Estero, Argentina.
ing Early Jurassic and Middle Cretaceous; it
became compressive from Late Cretaceous The North-West region of Argentina
but mainly during Tertiary. The sedimentary shows a variety of fluvial systems and associ-
column is formed by fluvial, lacustrine, vol- ated erosion-sedimentation problems. Most
caniclastics and volcanic deposits. The basin of the large scale watersheds have their
hosts deposits of economic importance in heads along the Andean and Sub-Andean
the sandstone sequences in all of their Creta- zones, and they are characterized by a very
ceous lithostratigraphic units. heavy sediment yield. On the other hand, the
The studies realized in these deposits are lower reaches of the rivers, mainly located
focused to understand the external and inter- on the Grand Chaco plain area, are charac-
nal controls of the plays. The development terized by a wide range of morphological
of quantitative models and the comprehen- processes, among others, net sedimentation
sion of tectonosedimentary evolution using and channel aggradation.
new technologies and optimizing the avail- Several problems related with erosion
able resources (field, lab and research) are and sedimentation processes in the study
the main goals to improve the prediction of area are examined from an engineering
new plays. point of view.
10 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
For instance, the continuous aggradation
of the Pilcomayo River, which defines the
international boundary between Argentina
and Paraguay countries, causes several prob-
lems. In fact, channel shifting and avulsion
processes difficult the river water resources
management for several uses in both coun-
tries and define a challenge to river engi-
neers about the location and features of dis-
charge diversion works.
Bermejo River also flows from the Andes
to Chaco and the sediment yield of its water-
shed is among the world highest ones. The
lower reaches of the river show a meander-
ing pattern with a remarkable trend to devel-
op lateral migration processes, which causes
a lot of problems in works located in the riv-
er environment, such as water intakes,
bridge crossings, agriculture land loss due to
bank erosion, etc.
Most of these problems are discussed in
the presentation, along with erosion-sedi-
mentation aspects observed in other interest-
ing fluvial systems in the region, such as Ju-
ramento-Salado and Salí-Dulce.
FATHER OF THE WATERS: UNLOCKING THE
SECRETS
Oscar Orfeo, 1 Daniel Parsons 2
1 CONICET and Universidad Nacional del Nordeste.
2 University of Leeds, UK.
The Paraná River System, the “Father of
the Waters” (in translation from aboriginal
Guaraní), is the 6th largest river system in
the world and as such is the most significant
in southern South America. The Paraná, as
well posing as a flooding risk for millions of
people who live on its floodplain, also pro-
vides a water supply, hydro-power, and a
major trade conduit in the region. Despite
its clear economic and social importance we
have a limited understanding of how many
components of the system functions and there
is thus a vital need to improve our knowl-
edge of channel morphodynamics and im-
prove our predictive capacity and thus ensure
sustainable development of this immense
watershed.
Large river systems have posed a consid-
erable challenge to Science, owing to the
magnitude and complexity of factors that
regulate their dynamics. For instance, the
Paraná has vast volumes of solid and liquid
discharge, a subtropical climate with a
range of temporal and spatial variability, a
diversity of relief and basin lithology, rapid
changes in the fluvial form, extensive flood-
plains, and considerable influence of both
autochthonous and allochthonous tributar-
ies. Additionally, many human imparted
changes have already exerted significant in-
fluence on the system, including the effect of
large dams, rectified channels, dredged
channels, fluvial transit alterations, intensive
development of ports, building of hydroelec-
tric plants, the rapid development of cities,
and changes in land-use, have or are compli-
cating the functioning of the entire system.
The study of modern large fluvial envi-
ronments is very much an incipient activity.
This paper provides an outline of the re-
search conducted by a large multi-national
group of scientists, who have begun to iden-
tify some key processes operating within the
Paraná System. This research for example
has begun to address questions over mixing
rates and flow structure at the Paraná-Para-
guay confluence, the influence of bedforms
on channel scale flow processes and the
morphodynamics and sedimentology of large
compound bars. This synthesis will highlight
key findings and point to future research
that aims to unlock more secrets of this
wonderful fluvial system.
HISTORICAL PLANIMETRIC CHANNEL
CHANGES IN AN ITALIAN RIVER: THE
CECINA RIVER
Liliana B. Teruggi, 1 Massimo Rinaldi 2
1 Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale,
Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via S. Marta, 3
– 50139 Florence, Italy. lteruggi@dicea.unifi.it
2 DICeA, Università degli Studi di Firenze.
Fluvial planimetric form is affected by
continuous changes as a consequence of
channel adjustments in response to varia-
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 11

tions in the balance between sediment supply mogeneous reaches, and a series of basic
and transport capacity. Channel changes may planimetric parameters, such as channel
be caused by geomorphic response to natu- width, sinuosity and braiding index, have
ral changes (e.g. climate) or human distur- been measured. This analysis has made it
bances. Human activities have had a strong possible to measure temporal and spatial
impact on most of the European alluvial riv- changes in Cecina River channel. In some
ers over the last centuries. representative reaches, changes in land-use
Nowadays, advances in Geographical In- and forest cover floodplain were analyzed
formation System (GIS) technology has sig- and quantified by comparing aerial photo-
nificantly increased the contribution that his- graphs using GIS data processing.
torical data can give to the analysis of chan- Results indicate that all reaches have
nel planform changes. been subjected to progressive channel nar-
The aims of this study are twofold: (1) to rowing since 1883. Channel width measures
develop and apply a systematic methodology indicate that the total channel narrowing
for measuring and analyzing channel changes varies between 60-80% of the initial width in
by remote sensing and GIS technology; (2) to the period of time analyzed. This adjustment
describe and interpret in a case study the spa- is characterized by two phases: the first one
tial and temporal patterns of channel changes started at the end of 19th century, the second
which have affected the Cecina River. and more intensive one began at the end of
The Cecina River is located in southern 20th century. The main causes of Cecina
Tuscany (Central Italy). It is a gravel bed channel changes are associated with man-
river with large alternating lateral bars, 79 induced activity such as sediment mining
km long, and has a drainage area of about and catchment land use changes (e.g. refor-
900 km² characterized by a Mediterranean estation). It is observed that channel narrow-
climate. ing is associated with a progressive increase
A Geographical Information System has in sinuosity, in some reaches with a change
been developed, and historical maps and from a multithread pattern towards a sinu-
aerial photographs of different scales and ous-meandering configuration. All the mea-
dates have been used to identify, measure and surements are used to analyze in detail the
analyze planimetric channel changes. spatial and temporal trends in planimetric
The active channel was defined and digi- adjustments and ultimately to derive a con-
talized from all the aerial photographs. The ceptual evolution model illustrating the spa-
river course was divided into relatively ho- tial and temporal trends of adjustments.
12 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
Abstracts
LOWER PALEOZOIC FLUVIAL DEPOSITS OF
ARABIA: FACIES, ENVIRONMENTS AND
DEPOSITIONAL STYLES, SAUDI ARABIA
Osman Abdullatif
Earth Sciences Department, KFUPM.
osmanabd@kfupm.edu.sa
The fluvial deposits in the lower Paleozoic
succession in Saudi Arabia are dominantly
siliciclastic sediments that are mostly sand-
stone dominated with subordinate siltstone or
mudstone facies. These lower Paleozoic rocks
are exposed locally nonconformably on the
Arabian Shield basement complex rocks and
also as a long, curve-linear belt around the
Arabian Shield in central Saudi Arabia. On
and around the Arabian Shield, the main low-
er Paleozoic siliciclastic fluvial deposits in-
clude the Siq Formation, Yatib Formation,
Quweira Formation and Saq sandstone For-
mation in the central and northwestern parts
and the Wajid Formation in the southwestern
part. The Arabian Shield, which consists of
igneous and metamorphic metasedimentary
and metavolcanic rocks, is the main sediment
detrital sources. In addition, recycled sedi-
ments represent a secondary source. These
fluvial formations show similarities and dif-
ferences in their facies, lithology, texture and
composition, however, all seem to be charac-
terized by sand dominated stream system
with little or scarce fine sediments. Moreover,
the fluvial formations show variations in fa-
cies types, architecture and their abundances
and their vertical and lateral stacking pat-
terns. Different factors appear to have influ-
enced the sedimentation of these formations
in terms of facies and depositional styles of
their stream systems. These factors include
complex controls varying from tectonics, sed-
iment source/basin relief, climate, weather-
ing history and sediment supply. All these fac-
tors, in addition to stream autocyclic process-
es, have contributed to facies and sequence de-
velopment of these formations from their
proximal to distal depositional setting. The
sedimentary depositional heterogeneity of
these formations has its impacts on their
aquifer and reservoir characteristics.
FLUVIAL DYNAMICS, ALLUVIAL
ARCHITECTURE AND PALAEOHYDROLOGY
OF AXIAL AND TRANSVERSE DRAINAGE
SYSTEMS IN AN EXTENSIONAL SETTING:
LOS ADOBES FORMATION (APTIAN),
CAÑADÓN ASFALTO BASIN, ARGENTINA
José Oscar Allard, 1 José Matildo Paredes, 1 Raúl
Eduardo Giacosa 1, 2
1 Dpto. de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales,
Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia ¨San Juan
Bosco¨, Ruta Provincial Nº 1 S/N Km. 4, (9000)
Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut Argentina.
2 SEGEMAR, Delegación Regional Comahue, CC 228
(8332), General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina.
The recognition of axial and transverse
drainage systems in extensional settings re-
quires a careful analysis of distribution and
scale of fluvial sandstone bodies, palaeocur-
rent data and changes in fluvial styles across
the depocentre. The variable slope and extent
of the channels network can be interpreted by
variations in sediment flow and discharge of
both systems. The fieldwork is based on the
analysis of 114 fluvial sandbodies of the Bar-
das Coloradas Member (Los Adobes Forma-
tion) in the Paso de Indios depocenter of the
Cañadón Asfalto Basin, covering an area of
420 km2. Major normal faults of the area are
NNW-SSE oriented, and the palaeocurrent
analysis reveals three main regional sediment
flow directions: W-NW (transverse), S-SW
(axial) and E-SE (major trunk system). The
succession consists of five lithofacies associa-
tions (bar deposits, talweg fill deposits,
abandoned channel, proximal floodplain and
distal floodplain) and eight architectural ele-
ments (channel, gravel bed form, sand bed
form, dowstream and lateral accretion mac-
roforms, hollow, top bar hollow and overbank
fines). Dominance of multi-storey, broad rib-
bons (61%) and narrow sheets (38%) reflect
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
bank resistance and rapid filling. Braided
sandstone bodies (85%), low sinuosity fluvial
sandstone bodies (12%) and meandering
channels (3%) were recognized. Axial sand-
stone bodies show a mean thickness (T) of
5.9m, the mean true width (W) increases
downstream from 25m to 109m, and their W/
T ratio changes from 14.8 to 42.2 and a me-
andering system develops downdip. The mean
discharge of the axial system decreases
downdip from 83 m3/s to 49m3/s, as result
of infiltration and evaporation. The thickness
of transverse systems increases downstream
from 3.5m to 6.2m; their mean width (W)
range from 40m to 86m. A maximum bank-
full discharge (mbd) of 1535m3/s was ob-
tained at the downstream point of the conflu-
ence zone with a transverse tributary system
that have a mbd of 1314 m3/s. In a basinward
direction the axial channel network links to a
regional trunk system draining to the E-SE, the
later having a mbd of 4143 m3/s. The pro-
posed sedimentary model is characterized by
transverse tributaries that join an axial drain-
age system, and a major trunk system basin-
ward. The fluvial system records very impor-
tant changes in water discharge (short and
sharp floods) and migration by avulsion
mechanism.
VOLCANIC BEDROCK MORPHOLOGY AS A
CONTROL ON FLUVIAL PATTERN IN A
SEMI-ARID SETTING
José Oscar Allard, 1 Alejandro Montes, 1,
José M. Paredes, 1 Gustavo Gabriel Bujalesky 2
1 Dpto. de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales,
Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia ¨San Juan
Bosco¨, Ruta Provincial Nº 1 S/N Km. 4, (9000)
Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut Argentina.
2 Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CA-
DIC), Housay 200 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego.
Downstream changes in the fluvial pat-
tern can be imposed by lateral changes in
the nature of the substrate, or bedrock
proximity. This study analyzes an ephemer-
al, braided channel that cross an uplifted
block of Jurassic basement at Bahía Busta-
mante, in the northern margin of the Golfo
13
San Jorge basin. Ground Penetrating Radar
and vertical trenches were carried out in the
valley to characterize the subsurface stratig-
raphy. GPR transects allowed us to identify
six radar facies: 1) subhorizontal, 2) low
angle, 3) high angle, 4) concave, 5) convex,
6) irregular and discontinuos. Three radar
facies associations were defined: 1) channel,
2) channel fill deposits and 3) bar deposits.
The three-dimensional organization of radar
facies and superficial features (e.g. braid
bars) are consistent with a braided pattern.
The width of the river varies from 40 m to
260 m, braid bars ranges from 50 m to 77
m in width and are 79 m-266 m long.
Specific stream power index (SSP) is de-
fined as the Stream Power/Width of the
channel belt. SSP data were obtained in five
positions along the course of the river. Al-
though the river behaves as a braided river
along their entire course, it shows systemat-
ical change in the braiding index and SSP,
defining aggradational and degradational
zones along the course. Degradational zones
are characterized by narrow valley widths,
they have values of SSP of 0.0156 m2/s and
0.00547 m2/s. The largest SSP value is ob-
tained where the river crosses the volcanic
basement, which is also the place where the
valley river is narrowest. Aggradational
zones show wider valleys, and have SSP val-
ues of 0.00049 m2/s, 0.00315 m2/s and
0.000317 m2/s.
The spatial distribution of aggradational
2 and degradational zones along the course of
the braided river is interpreted as a response
of the river to the location of the volcanic
basement along the course. Both the braided
pattern and the SSP values evidence the de-
velopement of degradational zones where the
resisting power<stream power, and aggra-
dational zones where the resisting power >
stream power.
14 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
ALTERNATING FLUVIAL STYLES WITHIN
THE MARITIMES BASIN COMPLEX OF
ATLANTIC CANADA: A RECORD OF
EQUATORIAL CLIMATE CHANGE DURING
THE LATE PALEOZOIC ICE AGE
Jonathan P. Allen, 1 Christopher R. Fielding, 1 Martin
R. Gibling, 2 Michael C. Rygel 3
jonathan.allen@huskers.unl.edu
1 Department of Geosciences, University of Nebras-
ka-Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, USA.
2 Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University,
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3J5, Canada.
3 Department of Geology, SUNY Potsdam, Potsdam,
New York, 13676, USA.
The Maritimes Basin complex of Atlantic
Canada preserves a thick stratigraphic suc-
cession deposited within a low latitude, pre-
dominantly continental setting during the
Late Paleozoic. Within the Maritimes Basin,
a newly recognized fluvial style has been uti-
lized in order to interpret paleoclimatic
changes during the Late Paleozoic. This flu-
vial style is characterized by 1) erosionally
based sandstone bodies that display complex
and abrupt lateral variations of sandstone
and pedogenic mudstones, 2) an abundance
of sedimentary structures deposited by high
flow conditions such as plane bedding and
convex-upward antidune stratification, 3)
complex internal stratification produced by
plant sediment interactions, and 4) in situ
arborescent trees preserved within densely
spaced groups that are consistently tilted in
a downflow orientation. These characteris-
tics have been interpreted to represent fluvial
sandbodies deposited under a tropical cli-
matic regime characterized by flashy,
strongly seasonal discharge.
The recognition of this distinct fluvial
style has allowed for a refinement of the pa-
leoclimatic evolution of the Maritimes Basin.
Four discrete stratigraphic intervals have
been recognized lasting from 3-6 m.y. where
this fluvial style is prominent, suggesting
that a subhumid, strongly seasonal paleocli-
mate was the dominant imprint on these pre-
served successions. Fluvial channel bodies
characteristic of humid conditions dominate
other stratigraphic intervals mainly from the
early to middle Pennsylvanian, while fluvial
styles characteristic of semiarid to arid envi-
ronments are dominant in the lowermost and
uppermost portion of the studied interval.
The recognition of these changes in fluvial
style from one stratigraphic interval to the
next suggests that systematic changes in pa-
leoclimate of at least regional extent are pre-
served within the Maritimes Basin. Addition-
ally, these intervals broadly coincide with
major periods of southern hemisphere glaci-
ation. Similar periods of fluvial instability
are recognized within low latitude fluvial
systems within the Cenozoic during periods
of major climatic transitions and the fluvial
successions within the Maritimes may record
a similar, although highly time-averaged,
response. The recognition of punctuated peri-
ods of strongly seasonal paleoclimate repre-
sented by the newly described fluvial style
may aid in refining the paleoclimate evolu-
tion of similar successions elsewhere in the
paleotropics.
MULTIPLE VALLEY FILLS FROM THE LATE
QUATERNARY RECORD OF THE TUSCAN
COASTAL PLAIN (ITALY)
Alessandro Amorosi, 1 Veronica Rossi, 1 Giovanni
Sarti, 2 Roberto Mattei, 2 Serena Giacomelli 2
1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e Geologico-
Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 67,
40127, Bologna, Italy. alessandro.amorosi@unibo.it,
veronica.rossi4@unibo.it
2 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di
Pisa, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
sarti@dst.unipi.it
Three consecutive, time-equivalent valley
fills of Lateglacial-Holocene age (13 to 8 cal
kyr BP) were identified in the Tuscan coastal
plain, across a 30 km long transect approx-
imately parallel to the present Tyrrhenian
Sea shoreline. From South to North, the Arno
valley fill is 35-40 m thick and 5-7 km wide,
the Serchio valley fill is 15-20 m thick and 7-
8 km wide, while the Camaiore valley fill is
20-30 m thick and 8-10 km wide. The three
valley fills display remarkably similar facies
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
architecture, with basal fluvial deposits over-
lain by a variety of transgressive, mud-dom-
inated coastal plain and estuarine deposits.
The valley bodies are capped by a sheet-like,
late transgressive succession of shoreline
sands grading vertically into offshore clays.
Beneath present Arno River, the valley
body consists internally of three superposed
millennial-scale cycles bounded by flooding
surfaces (parasequences). These cycles dis-
play a similar facies architecture, with
sharp-based central/outer estuarine clays
grading upward into inner-estuary, bay-head
delta and coastal-plain deposits. Overall, the
three parasequences display an aggradation-
al, rather than retrogradational stacking
pattern, which is interpreted to reflect the
complex relation between eustatic sea-level
rise and sediment supply during the post-
LGM transgression. Diagnostic changes in
vegetation patterns, driven by opposite cli-
mate conditions, enable documentation of
parasequence development as a function of
climate change. Pollen spectra invariably
show expansions of broad-leaved forests at
parasequence boundaries, suggesting that
rapid shifts to warmer climate conditions
accompanied episodes of sea-level rise. In
contrast, stillstand phases saw the develop-
ment of cold-temperate communities, sug-
gesting transition to temporary colder cli-
mate conditions.
Stratigraphic architecture beneath the
Lateglacial-Holocene valley bodies shows
that the coastal system of Tuscany experi-
enced multiple cycles of fluvial incision and
subsequent valley filling in response to late
Quaternary sea-level fluctuations. Below the
LGM fluvial deposits, an older set of estua-
rine clays is observed at depths ranging from
40 to 90 m. Based upon physical correla-
tions with nearshore deposits, these valley
fills are likely to record an older phase of
generalized fluvial incision, which is tenta-
tively assigned to the MIS 6-5 transition.
15
DEVELOPMENT AND EVOLUTION OF A
LATE QUATERNARY FLUVIAL CHANNEL
BELT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE
INTERPRETATION OF ANCIENT
ANALOGUES
Alessandro Amorosi, 1 Giovanni Sarti2
1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e Geologico-
Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 67,
40127, Bologna, Italy. alessandro.amorosi@unibo.it
2 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di
Pisa, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
sarti@dst.unipi.it
Defining age of ancient fluvial deposits is
generally a very difficult task, owing to lack
of reliable chronological indicators. In con-
trast, Quaternary stratigraphy, due to a well
known climatic and eustatic history com-
bined with radiometric dating, may provide
a well constrained chronostratigraphic
framework.
Detailed stratigraphic analysis of middle-
late Quaternary fluvial deposits from the Po
River Basin, in Northern Italy, reveals dis-
tinctive cyclic changes in lithofacies and
channel stacking patterns, falling in the Mi-
lankovitch (100 kyr) band . Stratigraphic
correlations with the coeval nearshore suc-
cessions document that the lower portions of
fluvial cycles, characterized by isolated sand
bodies, were deposited during phases of rel-
atively high-accommodation (episodes of
sea-level rise under interglacial conditions).
In contrast, accumulation of laterally amal-
gamated fluvial bodies (channel belts) took
place during phases of relatively low accom-
modation, marking the “regressive” maxima
(i.e., OIS 2 and OIS 6). A well constrained
chronostratigraphic framework indicates
that eight major channel belts (aquifer sys-
tems), separated by thick mud-prone flood-
plain successions, were deposited during the
last 870 ka, while development of the young-
est (LGM) channel-belt took place during an
interval of time of about 20 ka.
Comparison of the late Quaternary suc-
cession of the Po Basin with the fluvial ana-
logue Escanilla Formation, an Eocene forma-
tion commonly applied for reservoir studies,
16 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
documents striking analogies in terms of
both tectonic setting and fluvial architecture.
These include: i) sedimentation in a highly
subsiding, actively folded basin; ii) overall
thickness of about 800 m; iii) similar cyclic
architecture (100 m-thick cycles), with de-
velopment of 6-8 laterally extensive channel
belts.
Whilst new data are increasingly capable
of providing a refined stratigraphic frame-
work for the Escanilla Formation, no direct
dating is available, and duration of its depo-
sition (1.5 or 7 Ma?) is still problematic.
Based upon similarities with modern channel
belts, we suggest that most of the Escanilla
Formation (i.e., the 550 m-thick Olson Mem-
ber) is likely to span less than 1 My, and
that the unconformities with both underlying
Mondot Member and overlying Collegats
Formation could account for major strati-
graphic hiatuses. This interpretation is con-
sistent with the remarkable homogeneity in
terms of both lithology and facies architec-
ture observed across the Olson member,
along with lack of highly mature palaeosols
throughout the formation.
FLUVIAL EVOLUTION AND SEQUENCE MAPS
OF INTRAMOUNTAIN BRAIDED RIVERS,
CATAMARCA PROVINCE, ARGENTINA
Karina B. Anis, 1, 2 Gustavo E. Rizo, 1,
Ibañez, 1, 2 Sergio M. Georgieff 2, 3 using field measurements, which allow visu-
1 Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel
T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán,
Argentina.
2 IESGLO – UNT, Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE – San
Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
3 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
Técnicas, CONICET.
The systematic study of sedimentary pro-
cesses in the present day rivers allows identi-
fying the influence of the individual con-
trols, allocyclic and/or autocyclic, in the flu-
vial evolution of intramountain braided riv-
ers (Moyano et al. 2005, Grignola et al.
2006, Georgieff, 2006).
A series of thematic maps were recorded
for the Hualfín and Corral Quemado Rivers
(Catamarca Province, Northwest of Argenti-
na). Aerial photographs (from 1969), satel-
lite images (from 1996 to 2004) and theodo-
lite and gps mappings (from 2006 to 2008)
form the database use to compare seasonal
river stages.
Rivers are coming from the boundary be-
tween Puna and Pampean Ranges, flow to-
wards south along tectonic valleys and join
near the San Fernando Village. The climate
is semi-arid with summer torrential rains,
noticeable thermal amplitude and poor veg-
etal cover. These characteristics determine
important changes in dynamics and hydrau-
lics of both rivers, e.g.: variations in the
channel belt width (banks erosion), bar mi-
grations (lateral and downstream move-
ments) and changes in their patterns after
the confluence zone.
In particular, the Corral Quemado River
is an ephemeral stream, torrential regime,
and the grain size is predominantly sandy
(very fine to medium sand, with little contri-
bution of gravel and pebbles); whereas the
Hualfín River is semi–permanent stream and
the grain size is dominantly coarse (pebbles
and cobbles).
The maps overlapping define erosion and
deposition areas, changes in the channel belt
width, bar migrations and results of the man
management as intent to avoid floods. 3D
2 Lucía M. maps of the study area were performed by
Lillo 205, alizing better the morphologic changes.
Therefore, some results are: a) the relief and
the climatic variability of the region deter-
mine that both rivers and their confluence
present a high rate of erosion and therefore
a continuous internal morphologic variation;
b) the greater rate of erosion corresponds to
the Hualfín River and would indicate a low
potential of preservation of its deposits in
comparison to the Corral Quemado River.
The preservation rate is even smaller down-
stream of the confluence zone.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 17

quén Group as a succession of red layers en-

UPPER CRETACEOUS - SEDIMENTARY tirely continental formed during a period of
PALEOENVIRONMENTS IN THE total disconnection with the Pacific Ocean.
NORTHEASTERN MARGIN OF THE This work allows establishing the Neuquén
NEUQUINA BASIN – THE ANACLETO Group is characterized by typical deposits of
FORMATION AND THE LOWER MEMBER marine littoral environments. The contact
OF THE ALLEN FORMATION. ARGENTINA between the Neuquén and Malargüe Groups
Paula Armas, 1 María Lidia Sánchez, 2 Estefanía was interpreted as the beginning of the
Asurmendi2 Maastrichtian Atlantic ingression.
1 CONICET - Departamento de Geología, UNRC - Based on the detailed study and correla-
parmas@exa.unrc.edu.ar tion of the outcrops at regional scale, this
2 Departamento de Geología, UNRC-Ruta 8 Km 603 work shows that the Anacleto Formation has
(5800) Río Cuarto- msánchez@exa.unrc.edu.ar the first evidences of the Atlantic ingression.
Thus, the concepts at regional level of the
A detailed sedimentary analysis of Upper extension and influence of the eustacy during
Cretaceous deposits, especially those that the late Cretaceous in the ambit of the Neu-
correspond to the Anacleto Formation and to quina Basin are modified. One of the main
the lower member of the Allen Formation, aspects that must now be established is the
was carried out in the northeastern margin age of the Neuquén Group top or redefining
of the Neuquina Basin (Neuquén and Río the age of the Atlantic ingression.
Negro Provinces). The study area is located
in the boundary sector between the provinc-
es of Neuquén and Río Negro and the out- TECTONIC GEOMORPHOLOGY OF
crops are located at the north of the Neu- RAMHORMOZ WATERSHED AREA IN THE
quén City (Neuquén Province), along the ZAGROS FOLD BELT OF SOUTHWESTERN
Route 234 and in the proximity of Cinco Sal- IRAN
tos (Río Negro Province) on the left margin Arash Barjasteh
of the Neuquén River. Head of Geology group, Khuzestan Water & Power
The definition of lithofacies and architec- Authority (KWPA), Ahvaz, IRAN.
tural elements allowed the interpretation of P.O. Box 61335-137, barjasteh@hotmail.com
sedimentary paleoenvironments and the real-
ization of a depositional model. Ramhormoz watershed is part of the Za-
Using information obtained from the fa- gros Fold Belt in Khuzestan Province of
cies association, the following fluvial archi- southwestern Iran. It includes three main riv-
tectural elements were determined: channel, ers namely Rud Zard, Rud Talkh and A’la riv-
lateral accretion, downstream accretion ers which combine together to form Ramhor-
macroforms, crevasse (channel and splay moz River which in turn joins with Jarahi
deposits) and floodplain. Elements influ- River which enters the Persian Gulf south-
enced by tides were also defined: tidally in- ward. The geomorphology of the catchment
fluenced fluvial channel, tidal channels, area as part of the Zagros Simple Fold Belt
levee, supratidal flats, intertidal flats, sub- is highly influenced by the local and region-
tidal flats and tidal bars. The paleoenviron- al tectonic of the area. Tectonic and structur-
mental reconstruction for the Anacleto For- al controls on the Ramhormoz watershed are
mation consists of a fluvial system with the main targets of this study due to the
braided, anastomosing and high sinuosity build of three dams in next future. The tec-
channels; besides of both upper and middle tonic setting is characterized by large thrust
estuary system. Meanwhile a lower estuary faults and the occurrence of several land-
system or estuary mouth is characteristic of slides, which involve deformable and low
the lower member of the Allen Formation. competent sediments (especially marl, silt
Previous works have defined to the Neu- and evaporitic deposits). The most rivers are
18 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
tranverse-type which can be geomorphologi-
cally classified as antecedent drainage. In
some parts, the rivers run parallel to the
strike of anticlines being locally coincident
with fault traces. The river courses through
the mountainous part of the studied area are
generally SE-NW (Zagros trend) whereas they
change to NE-SW or N-S (Arabian trend) in
the plain part. The location of the landslides
is related to the fault junctions. Thrusting of
conformable over more competent ones fa-
cilitated sliding in the area. This study
shows the importance to analyze the tectonic
geomorphology in order to improve the fu-
ture watershed management projects related
to geotechniques of the future dam reser-
voirs. The results also show that lithological
diversity and complexity of the geological
structures have key roles on the geomorphol-
ogy of the area.
References
Barjasteh, A., 2003. Morphotectonics of Allah
River and its application in the rehabilitation
study of Ramhormoz region, southwest of
Iran. Proc., 6th. Int Conf. River Engineering,
Ahvaz University, Ahvaz, Iran, 6p.
Barjasteh, A., 2006. Investigation of the engi-
neering geomorphologic properties of Allah
River, nor theast of Ramhormoz city (in
Persian). Proc.,10 th Symp.Geol.Soc.Iran,
Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran,
p.2368-2373
Barjasteh, A., 2007. Investigation of the rela-
tionship of drainage network to fracture
system in Gachsaran Formation (Ramhormoz
region) (in Persian), Proc.,1 st Applied Geol-
ogy Congress of Iran. Azad Islamic University
of Mashad, Mashad, Iran, pp.868-872.
HIGH FREQUENCE CICLICITY IN
CONTINENTAL SYSTEMS: EXAMPLE OF
FM. TORDILLO, UPPER JURASSIC
NEUQUÉN BASIN ARGENTINA
Arregui Carlos Daniel
J.J. Lastra 6000, Neuquén (8300).
carlos.arregui@petrobras.com
The genesis of the cyclicity in continental
sediments without connection with the sea
has been intensively studied in modern
stratigraphy. The existence of upstream allo-
genic controls (tectonic and climate – Catu-
neanu 2006) and others associated with the
dynamics of the own system (autogenic) give
a very complex scenario in which is not al-
ways easy to recognize the prevalence of
one above the other.
The existence in the continental rock
record of different frequency cycles with high
and low accomodation or humid and dry
conditions alternated are very common.
Therefore we can predict that the exter-
nal controls (allocyclic) are systematically
present in continental deposition.
In the Neuquén basin the fluvial – eolian
Tordillo Fm. is a very good example of the
presence of different hierarchic cycles where
the predominance of humid (fluvial – humid
eolian intervals) or dry conditions (dry eo-
lian systems) is of paramount importance in
the reservoir behavior of the rocks and the
prediction of hydrocarbon productivity.
The change in the correlation philosophy
from a lithostratigraphic to a chronostrati-
graphic style have produced a very deep im-
pact in the comprehension and predictability
of the local to regional distribution of pro-
duction zones in the most important reser-
voir interval of the Basin.
References
Catuneanu, O. (2006) Principles of Sequence
Stratigraphy. Ed. Elsevier.
THE PROCESSES AND DEPOSITIONAL
ARCHITECTURE OF BIG RIVERS: THE RIO
PARANÁ, ARGENTINA
Ashworth, P. J., 1 Amsler, M. L., 2 Best, J. L., 3
Hardy, R. J.,4 Lane, S. N.,4 Nicholas, A. P.,5 Orfeo,
O. , 6 P a r s o n s , D . R . , 7 R e e s i n k , A . J . H . , 1 , 8
Sambrook Smith, G. H., 8 Sandbach, S. D., 4, 5
Szupiany, R. N. 2
1 School of Environment and Technology, University of
Brighton, UK, email: p.ashworth@brighton.ac.uk
2 Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Facultad de Inge-
niería y Ciencias Hídricas, Centro Internacional de
Estudios de Grandes Ríos, C.C. 217 - (3000)
Santa Fe, Argentina.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 19

3 Depar tments of Geology and Geography and Ven migration of low-relief bedforms with di-
Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory, University of Illi- mensions similar to unit bars observed in the
nois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA. field (height ~3-5 m, wavelength 1-2 km).
4 Depar tment of Geography, University of Durham, Field-model data suggest a need to: (i) un-
Durham, UK. derstand the contribution of unit bars to big
5 Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Exe- river sedimentology, and (ii) establish why
ter, UK. the majority of the Paraná channel-belt is
6 Centro de Ecologia Aplicada del Litoral, Consejo stable over decadal time scales.
Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas,
Corrientes, Argentina
7 School of Earth and Environment, University of FACIES CHARACTERISTICS AND ORIGIN
Leeds, Leeds, UK. OF THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTS IN THE
8 School of Geography, Ear th and Environmental NILE VALLEY, EGYPT
Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK. Awad, M.H.
Dept. of Geology, Dean Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar
Little is known about the processes, dy- Univ., Cairo, Egypt.
namics and deposits of the world’s largest
multi-thread rivers and whether they are dif- The lithostratigraphic studies of the ex-
ferent from smaller (less than 1 km wide) posed Quaternary sequence at Idfu, Qena
rivers. This paper reports on a combined and Beni Suef in the Nile valley of Egypt al-
field and numerical modelling campaign on lowed to differentiate it into six rock units
the sandy Rio Paraná, Argentina – the namely, Idfu, Armant, Abbassia, Makhadma
world’s 6th largest river. and Warsha Formations.
Bathymetric and 3D flow data were taken Representative samples were subjected
in a 38 km long, 4 km wide reach using sin- for size analysis, heavy mineral separations
gle-beam echo sounders, acoustic Doppler and petrographic investigations.
current profilers and dGPS. Results demon- The studied Quaternary sediments reflect
strate that the main channels of the Paraná aqueous sedimentation processes. The gravel
at low flow are dominated by dunes up to of Idfu Formation are mainly rounded to
3.5 m high and less common unit bars 2-5 m well rounded reflecting long way run derived
high with some up to 10 m high. The depos- from different basement rock types of the
its of eight km-scale mid-channel bars were Eastern Desert mixed with short way run
characterised by 43 km of Ground 4~Pene- sediments of Nile load origin.
trating Radar (GPR) with penetration down The gravel of Armant, Makhadma and
to 10 m, and 28, m-deep suction cores. The Issawia Formations are angular to subangu-
internal structure of mid-channel bars is dom- lar indicating short way run derived from the
inated by (i) decimetre to sub-m high, surrounded and nearby sedimentary sequenc-
stacked dune sets, (ii) up to 7 m thick, high- es. The Warsha gravels which are mainly
angle, bar margin sets, and (iii) decimetre- angular to subangular and rounded to sub-
thick ripple sets, most commonly, but not rounded pebbles and granules of sedimenta-
exclusively found at the bartop. Re-activa- ry and fewly volcanic origin indicate deriva-
tion surfaces on bar margins are common. tion from nearby Eocene and volcanic rocks
Between 2-7 stacked unit bars make up a of the Eastern Desert.
mid-channel bar. Zircon, epidote, staurolite, kyanite, gar-
Numerical modelling of flow, sediment net, rutile and tourmaline are the main
transport and morphological change in the heavy minerals detected in the sands of Idfu
38 km study reach show a good match be- and Armant Formations with varying degrees
tween field and model flow distributions. of abundance.
Simulated channel change is characterised The combination of sedimentological
by talweg shifting and the formation and characteristics of the studied Quaternary sed-
20 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
iments indicate that during the Quaternary
(Pleistocene) torrential activities in the East-
ern Desert together with Nile flooding led to
the deposition of the studied rock units.
HIGH-FREQUENCY VARIATIONS IN
ACCOMMODATION SPACE IN PUNTA SAN
ANDRÉS ALLOFORMATION (PLIO-
PLEISTOCENE), BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE,
ARGENTINA
Elisa Beilinson
Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas – 1 #644, La
Plata (B1900TAC), Argentina.
beilinson@cig.museo.unlp.edu.ar
The continental deposits of the Punta San
Andrés Alloformation (Plio-Pleistocene)
crop-out in the marine cliffs of south-eastern
Buenos Aires Province (Mar del Plata City,
Argentina). Deposits of this unit have been
assigned to different sub-environments such
as floodplains, fluvial channels and tempo-
rary water bodies according to their facies
association and geometry (tabular, wedge-
shaped or lenticular). Their lateral and ver-
tical arrangement allows to identify three
different sections, each of which represents a
different sedimentary sub-environment and
different accommodational conditions.
The first and lower section is character-
ized by floodplain deposits (crevasse-splay
deposits and paleosoils). The few channel
bodies found in this lower section have a
simple geometry, with width/length ratio <
10 in all cases and monoepisodic filling.
This lower section is considered to represent
an area distal form the heads, where pale-
otopography, fluctuating climate and drain-
age design lead to the development of exten-
sive floodplains cut by episodic, short-lived
straight or low sinuosity channels associated
to food events or storms. Regarding the pa-
leosoils, a cyclic alternation was found be-
tween calcic paleosoils and hydromorfic pa-
leosoils which was interpreted as cyclicity
between dry and humid climates. Accommo-
dation during this period was positive, but
high-frequency fluctuations were defined be-
tween hydromorphic paleosoils – higher ac-
commodation space- and calcic paleosoils –
less accommodation space.
It’s worth saying that channels in this
lower section are amalgamated vertically
with channels developed in the upper sec-
tions, constituting multistorey channels. Be-
cause of this, some areas are dominated by
tabular geometries of floodplain deposits
and others by channelized geometries which
reflect areas that remained preferentially in-
cised during Plio-Pleistocene times.
The middle section is characterized by
coarser floodplain deposits and is much
more dissected by channels, which have mul-
tiepisodic filling and a complex geometry.
This section is interpreted as a floodplain
proximal to the heads. Paleosoils in this sec-
tion are represented by hydromophic hori-
zons with little participation of calcic facies.
Accommodation during this period is inter-
preted to have been positive but reduced
when compared to the lower section.
The upper section is characterized by de-
posits of mobile, high-sinuosity channels.
Floodplain deposits are barely represented
and highly dissected. Development of fluvial
channels is related to periods of diminishing
accommodation space, probably due to a
drop in local base level and/or an increase
in precipitations. Filling of the channels in-
dicates a subsequent raise in local base level
and re-establishment of positive accommoda-
tion space.
To summarize, the geometric and facial
analysis of Punta San Andrés Alloformation
deposits allowed to identify depositional en-
vironments which vertical and lateral distri-
bution show a progressive change in accom-
modation and plaeoclimatic conditions. Dry
and arid periods related to little accommo-
dation space alternate with wetter periods
related to higher accommodation space and
finally to a more important drop in local
base level leading to general fluvial incision
and negative accommodation space.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 21

between the two rivers (Bermejo: Paraguay)

ON THE INFLUENCE OF DENSITY was 0.17 (combined discharge ~ 2800 m3s-
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MIXING FLOWS 1) and 0.23 (combined discharge ~ 5050
AT RIVER CONFLUENCES m3s-1) respectively. However, in 2007 the
Best, J. L., 1 Parsons, D. R., 2 Amsler, M. L., 3 density excess of the Río Bermejo over the
K o s t a s c h u k , R . A . , 4 L a n e , S . N ., 5 O r f e o , O ., 6 Río Paraguay was 5.1 kg m-3, whilst in the
Szupiany, R.N., 3 Hardy, R.J. 5 study period in 2005 it was 2.2 kg m-3. Flu-
1 Depar tments of Geology and Geography and Ven id mixing at this site is dominated by a den-
Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory, University of Illi- sity underflow from the Río Bermejo that
nois, Urbana, IL 61820, USA penetrates underneath the fluid of the Río
2 University of Leeds, UK; d.parsons@see.leeds. Paraguay and then upwells at the outer bank
ac.uk of the Río Paraguay downstream from the
3 Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Facultad de Inge- confluence. Mixing occurs through instabili-
niería y Ciencias Hídricas, Centro Internacional de ties along the shear layer between the two
Estudios de Grandes Ríos, C.C. 217 - (3000) flows, fluid instabilities along the top of the
Santa Fe, Argentina. underflow current, topographic forcing over
4 University of Guelph. bedforms and interactions with the channel
5 Durham University, UK. banks. This paper will illustrate these mech-
6 CECOAL, CONICET, Arg. anisms of mixing and the possible signifi-
cance of density contrasts between confluent
Channel confluences form key nodes flows in determining the morphodynamics at
within all alluvial networks and extensive such channel junctions.
research over the past 25 years has shown
how the dynamics of mixing at these sites,
and nature of the bed morphology, are con- VISUALIZATION OF DUNE AND BAR-
trolled by the junction angle, the momentum GENERATED TURBULENCE AND SEDIMENT
ratio between the two confluent flows, the SUSPENSION: IMAGES FROM THE SOUTH
junction planform shape and the nature of SASKATCHEWAN RIVER, CANADA, AND
any bed height discordance between the two IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSPENDED
channels. Although remote sensing of many SEDIMENT RATING CURVES
open channel confluences, particularly of Jim L. Best, R.E. Thomas, P.J. Ashworth, S.N.
larger rivers, often reveals a difference in Lane, I.A. Lunt, G.H. Sambrook Smith, C.J. Simpson
turbidity between the two flows, there has Departments of Geology and Geography and Ven Te
been little work conducted on how the densi- Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory, University of Illinois,
ty differences that such turbidity contrasts Urbana, IL 61820, USA.
may generate may influence the dynamics of
mixing at confluences. It has long been known that form rough-
This paper presents results from a field ness, such as dunes and bars, can generate
study of flow and bed morphology at the large-scale turbulence that can dominate the
confluence of the Río Bermejo and Río Para- temporary suspension of sediment within
guay, Argentina, where the sediment load, many rivers. Several studies have linked such
and thus bulk density, of the Río Bermejo large-scale turbulence to high instantaneous
flow is always greater than that of the Río sediment fluxes, and shown how the fluid
Paraguay. The Río Bermejo is an important upwellings produced by form roughness
river in the Paraná basin as, although it may may dominate the flow structure of many
only contribute ~5% of the fluid discharge channels, especially those with high
to the Río Paraná, it may contribute up to width:depth ratios. Such upwellings are
~80% of the total wash load. Surveys of the commonly seen as ‘boils’ on the surface of
confluence were undertaken in May 2005 many rivers and range from decimetres to
and April 2007, when the discharge ratio metres in diameter.
22 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
This paper presents images of form-
roughness generated macroturbulence that
were recorded from low-level aerial photo-
grammetric surveys that were flown over the
sand-bedded South Saskatchewan River,
Canada. The South Saskatchewan River was
dammed upstream of the study reach in
1964 and hence is now relatively clear, en-
abling suspended sediment fluxes to be visu-
alized within the water column at most stag-
es. We will present images, taken at a range
of flow stages, which show the form of such
upwellings associated with sand dunes and
with the fronts of unit and compound bars.
Dunes are seen to provide periodic point-
source ejections of sediment that erupt on the
flow surface, and are manifested as a trail
of circular/ovoid upwellings on the water
surface. Sediment suspension over bar fronts
occurs over a greater width and appears to
generate a more continuous source of par-
tially-suspended sediment. The suspended
sediment rating curve for the river now
shows an increase in its slope at 330-403
m3s-1, and it is suggested this break corre-
sponds to the increased influence of form
roughness in generating sediment suspen-
sion.
CONTINENTAL SHELVES AS THE
LOWSTAND FLUVIAL LONGITUDINAL
PROFILE
Mike Blum
ExxonMobil Upstream Research C o m p a n y.
mike.blum@exxonmobil.com
Lowstand fluvial profiles represent the
first-order morphodynamic state for conti-
nental shelves, and river long profiles are
fundamentally graded to shelf margins. Over
the last 10^6 yrs mean sea level has been -
60 to 65 m, with a mode at -85 to -90: for
most of this time, the majority of shelves
would have been subaerial. Long profiles for
river systems have equilibrium times >10^4
to 10^5 yrs: they should be adjusted to
mean conditions over time scales that are =
equilibrium times, and insensitive to the
anomalous and infrequent highstands like
that of the Holocene. On a global scale, it is
well known that channel gradients correlate
inversely to drainage basin areas: similarly,
shelf gradients and width correlate to on-
shore fluvial gradients and drainage areas,
such that >50% of the variance in shelf
width for the midlatitudes and tropics is ex-
plained by contributing drainage basin area
alone.
In an icehouse world, high-frequency cli-
mate changes are coupled to changes in ice
volume, and unsteadiness of sediment supply
due to climate change is modulated by the
transit of river mouths across the shelf.
Moreover, transit of river mouths across a
broad shelf results in the merger of drainage
basins that, in a highstand world, discharge
separately to the coastal oceans: merging of
drainage basins increases individual point-
source sediment supply, but there will be few-
er river mouths and delta systems at the shelf
margin than there are during highstand
time. These relationships must be different in
a Greenhouse world because the high fre-
quency, long distance transit of river
mouths, and merger of drainage basins
should not occur to the same degree. In an
Icehouse world, major high-frequency chang-
es in fluvial-deltaic, shelf-margin, slope, and
basin-floor stratal packages will reflect fluvi-
al responses to sea-level change. By contrast,
in a Greenhouse world, high-frequency
stratigraphic packaging should be closely
coupled to unsteadiness in sediment supply
due to climate change, rather than modulat-
ed by fluvial transit of the shelf, and merging
of drainages.
ROLE OF INCISED-VALLEY SYSTEMS IN
SOURCE-TO-SINK SEDIMENT ROUTING
AND STORAGE: EXAMPLES FROM THE
LATE QUATERNARY NORTHERN GULF OF
MEXICO MARGIN
Mike Blum, Matt Garvin
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company.
mike.blum@exxonmobil.com
Incised-valley systems form in response
to sea-level fall, as fluvial systems extend
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 23

across newly subaerial shelves to the low- gins with broad shelves, like those of the
stand shoreline and shelf margin. Recent Late Quaternary Gulf of Mexico, drainage
work on Late Quaternary systems of the Gulf basins merge as channels extend across the
of Mexico passive margin illustrate how sed- shelf, which in turn increases drainage areas
iment supply might change over the course that contribute to single point sources at the
of a glacio-eustatic cycle, and how the evo- shelf margin. Apparent signals of increased
lution of incised-valley systems modulates or decreased flux of sediment to the shelf
source-to-sink sediment routing to deepwater margin and beyond may reflect geomorphic
environments. response to sea-level change - the merging of
First, empirical data that links sediment drainages as they transit the shelf - rather
supply to climate suggests supply from the than changes in supply from the hinterland.
hinterlands should decrease during glacio-
eustatic sea-level fall and lowstand due to
temperature depression. Hence, supply from LAS CUMBRES FORMATION (EARLY
the hinterland may be (a) at a maximum PLEISTOCENE), AN EXAMPLE OF THE
when river mouths reside in highstand posi- OROGENY CLIMAX TECTOFACIES IN THE
tions, and sediment storage takes place on PAMPEAN RANGES
the coastal plain and inner shelf, and (b) at Gerardo E. Bossi, 1 Sergio M. Georgieff, 1, 2 Lucía
a minimum when river systems are extended M. Ibañez 1, 3

to the shelf margin lowstand shoreline and
directly feeding the slope and basin floor.
Second, studies of late Quaternary sys-
tems, where deposits can be mapped and dat-
ed independent of sea-level change, make it
clear that incised valleys form in a step-wise
manner in response to sea-level fall and low-
stand, with short periods of incision punctuat-
ed by extended periods of lateral channel mi-
gration, valley widening, and deposition of
channel-belt sands. Step-wise incision and
lateral channel migration is the process that
creates the basal valley-fill surface, as well as
controls the overall dimensions of the incised
valley. The timing of incision and channel-
belt deposition on the evolving valley-fill sur-
face varies between river systems due to a va-
riety of controls. The total volume of sediment
exported during the period of incised-valley
formation is a relatively small value com-
pared to the ongoing flux from the hinter-
lands, and short periods of incision likely pro-
duce an insignificant amount. However, peri-
ods of lateral channel migration and valley
widening significantly increase the export of
sediment, perhaps by 25% over background
rates, such that periods of fluvial deposition
during sea-level fall and lowstand corre-
sponds to increased sediment delivery to the
shelf margin.
Finally, for low-gradient continental mar-
1 IESGLO – UNT, Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE – San
Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
2 CONICET.
3 Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, T4000JFE
– San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
gbossi@arnet.com.ar
Las Cumbres Formation is an Early Pleis-
tocene coarsening-upward succession com-
posed mainly by conglomerates laying over
the Salicas (Pliocene) sandstones. The top of
the unit is the original geomorphic deposition-
al surface. In some places like, in Villa Mer-
vil, the unit lays disconformably over the Sal-
icas Formation but in others, like in Alpas-
inche, the formational limit is a long transi-
tion. At the northeast extreme of the Velasco
Range, a ring of low hills (named Cumbres de
Los Pozuelos) shows to the Las Cumbres For-
mation as a complex system of allounits sep-
arated by angular unconformities, which are
related to Uscamayo Fault, an active synsedi-
mentary fault in Pleistocen times.
Las Cumbres Formation is one of the typ-
ical conglomerate units developed as very
extensive alluvial bahada coming down
from the emerging ranges during the climax
of the tectonic inversion of the area. The
conglomerates entered deep into the “Bolson
de Pipanaco”, the biggest intramountain ba-
sin of the Pampean Ranges. The sedimentary
24 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
succession shows an alternation of lenticular
bodies of either massive or graded coarse
conglomerates and ill-laminated better sort-
ed fine conglomerates. The coarser facies
form tabular bodies with occasional over-
sized blocks and were interpreted as debris
flows while the better sorted facies were as-
signed to water laid deposits related to
ephemeral channels and chutes forming a
distributary system. Texture, angularity and
composition of the pebbles indicate a com-
bined provenance from the Velasco (South),
Vinquis and Zapata (North) and Paimán
(West) Ranges, according to the measured
paleocurrents. Paleocurrent and maximum
pebble size maps composition indicate dis-
placements of the compositional facies from
the location of their source areas, which
could be related to the activity of a regional
left transcurrent fault (known as Lineamien-
to Tucumán), and moved the whole sedi-
mentary system during the deposition of the
conglomerates.
THE RED BEDS OF HUALFÍN FORMATION
IN THE SYNRIFT STAGE OF PAMPEAN
RANGES, NORTHWEST OF ARGENTINA:
PALEOGEOGRAPHIC AND
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
Gerardo E. Bossi, 2 Sebastián Moyano 1, 2 these sandy units reached the maximum de-
gbossi@arnet.com.ar
1 IESGLO – UNT, Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE – San
Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
2 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
Técnicas, CONICET.
Hualfín Formation represents the early
infill of the Santa María – Hualfín Basin in
the Northwestern Pampean Ranges of Argen-
tina. The unit is composed of well indurated
dark red sandstones alternating with minor
shale’s, laying over the Pampean Peneplain.
Facies associations are dominated by massive
to parallel laminated medium to fine
grained sandstones forming tabular lateral
extensive beds (80%), irregularly cut by len-
ticular medium sandstones with trough cross
bedding (15%), assumed to be shallow
channel facies and thin tabular fine laminat-
ed shales. Conglomerates are scarce and
concentrated near the base of the succession.
Isolated small and rounded pebbles occur in
the channel facies. The clasts are mainly
from granite and low grade metamorphic
rocks, with minor proportion of volcanic
rocks and tuff paraclasts. Associated with
the water laid facies there are also very thick
horizons of crossbedded sandstones, laying
over a flat erosive surface. Fine grain fall
lamination alternates with grain flow thick-
er lamina indicates an eolian origin.
Most indirect age evidence located the sed-
imentation time in the Paleogene, in a time
previous to the developping of the near basin
eastern volcanic arc of the Puna. In the Hua-
lfín Range and in the Campo del Arenal, the
sedimentation of the unit was controlled by a
normal synsedimentary fault system oriented
NE-SW, that imposed local variation of the
thickness of the unit (between 50 to 200 m).
Dominant facies indicates sheetflood sed-
imentation in a very extensive plain near sea
level, under an arid climate with distant and
low relief source areas, strongly oxidizing.
Channel deposits are thin lenticular units
composed of trough cross - bedding sand-
stone with minor indication of channel and
bar developpings. The eolian horizons are
located in the upper part of the unit when
velopment The normally ephemeral and dry
fluvial system was an excellent repository
for the dune fields formed by better sorted
sandstones.
Another unit of similar age with exten-
sive dune fields interstratified with the same
fluvial facies is known as Quebrada de los
Colorados Formation, outcropping about
300 km to the north of the study area, in the
Calchaquí Valley. In some places where the
unit is absent, as in El Cajón Valley, the sur-
face of the Pampean Peneplain is full of im-
pact marks generated by wind erosion.
The low land paleogeography of the area
during Paleogene times associated with the
convergence of the Hadley-Ferrel atmospher-
ic cells is a well fitted scenario for the highly
oxidized arid fluvial facies alternating with
eolian field.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 25

19) were analyzed to detect changes in veg-

NATURAL AND ANTHROPICAL FACTORS etative cover, specifically deforestation, and
AFFECTING MODERN RIVERS AND changes from natural vegetative cover to
RESERVOIRS IN A SEMIARID BASIN. agricultural lands, for the last 30 years.
TAPIA - TRANCAS BASIN, TUCUMÁN, LandSat images were analyzed to record also
ARGENTINA changes in the delta of Sali River at the res-
Bustos, María Soledad ervoir.
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Expansion of agricultural lands was ob-
Técnicas, CONICET. Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo served mainly in lowland areas along the
205, T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Sali river Valley and in the east region of the
Argentina. solbustos81@gmail.com basin (piedmont areas of the Sierras de Me-
dina). Changes in river morphology at the
Present day rivers are certainly affected by delta, sediment deposits and stabilization of
human activity and natural factors. In the same deposits with vegetation were observed com-
way, the dam construction increases the impact paring Landsat 5 TM for different dates.
on the modern rivers. Among others anthropi- Changes observed could be related to both,
cal factors, mainly agriculture and deforesta- natural and anthropical factors. First,
tion, the amount of runoff and sediment trans- change in base level due to the presence of
ported to rivers and deposited in reservoirs are the reservoir and the adaptation of the fluvi-
increasing during the last decades. al system to the new base level, also in-
Celestino Gelsi reservoir is the biggest creased rainfall amount an its consequent
reservoir in the Tucumán Province, Argenti- raise in sediment yield. In second place mis-
na. Since 1966, sediment deposition and loss management practices related to land use
of impoundment capacity were documented could have affected the balance of sediment
and referred as consequences of mismanage- leaving the basin area.
ment practices, on agricultural lands and,
deforestation in the Tapia – Trancas up-
stream area (Adler, 2004). PALEOFLUVIAL SYSTEMS IN THE
RUSLE model, (Renard et al., 1997), was WESTERN CHACO PLAIN, TUCUMÁN
applied to quantify soil loss for the basin PROVINCE, ARGENTINA
area. R-factor was calculated, according to Collantes, M.M., 1 Sayago, J.M., 1, 2 Busnelli, J. 1, 2

Renard and Freimund (1994), two periods 1 Geosciences and Environment Institute, National
were considered: 1) from 1935 to 1962 and, University of Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, (4000)
2) from 1963 to 1990. The values of R fac- Tucuman (Argentina); mcollantes@arnet.com.ar
tor, obtained were greater in the period 2 National Council of Scientific and Technical Resear-
1963-1990 than in the period of 1935-1962, ch (CONICET).
probably related to an increase in mean an-
nual and monthly rainfall in the source area The aims of the work was study de evolu-
during the second period. Same trend in tion of the western fluvio-eolian plain in the
rainfall amount was reported by Minetti and Tucumán Province. The analysis of the pale-
Gonzales (2006) for other areas in NW re- ofluvial features of the study area, using
gion of Argentina and Piovano et al. (2002) photointerpretation and field observations,
for central area of Argentina. Also increased allowed mapping and classifying the geo-
amounts of discharge entering the Reservoir forms created by past river dynamics. Pale-
were registred for the period 1967 to 1996, ochannels with structural control, migrating
according to the database from Hydrologic paleochannels and paleochannels turned into
Resources Department (Dirección de Recur- ravines by human-induced erosion were
sos Hidricos of Tucumán). characterized according to their morphology
Satellite images (Landsat 5 TM and/or genesis.
from1988/08/15, 1997/08/24 and 2007/07/ The paleochannels with structural control,
26 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
are elongated flat-bottom valleys run down to
the plain as shallow, sometimes buried. The
morphology of the paleoforms suggests that
they were developed by NW-SE running
streams with moderate energy and high com-
petence. Although they are presently inactive,
subsurface or even surface runoff during heavy
rain periods might occur. River behavior
seems to be related to paleofluvial conditions,
together with fault and fracture control.
The migrating paleochannels are frequent
throughout the fluvio-eolian plain, occurring
as shallow channeled depressions generally
masked by crops or artificial drenaige. Such
channels can be attributed to relatively re-
cent overflows from the Tajamar river. They
served as local collectors of excess water
during heavy rain periods, when the region
was still covered by Chaco forest. Nowadays,
they behave as local areas of runoff storage
on soils having high capacity for moisture
retention that plays an important role during
drought periods.
The fluvial paleovalleys, are located in
the western sector of the study area, large
elongated depressions, similar to real fluvial
valleys, start in the fluvio-eolian on the west
and extend southward over several tens of
kilometers and disappear in the saline de-
pressions of Santiago del Estero province.
They seem to be related to intensive head-
retreat erosion during the moist Holocene
periods, with runoff increase from the west,
and/or to changes in the eastern base level
by neotectonic reactivation. In all cases, ra-
vine heads are located in the plain, not in
the piedmont. This could be related to the
existence of an area depressed by tectonics
that would have diminished river incision,
and/or be caused by decrease in water sup-
ply from the west due to climatic change. All
these channels coincide, in some stretch of
their courses, with structural features caus-
ing slightly asymmetric margins. Additional-
ly, mass movements might have contributed
not only to channel widening but also to
channel stabilization through creeps and
flows from the hillsides.
THE RIERA DE SOBIRANS (NE, SPAIN)
MODEL OF OVERELEVATED TORRENTIAL
CHANNELS: SEDIMENTARY
CHARACTERISTICS
Ferran Colombo, 1 Oriol Riba, 1 Lluis Rivero 2
1 Dept. Estratigrafia, Paleontología y Geociencias
Marinas. Fac. Geología. Universidad de Barcelona,
C/ Martí-i-Franquès s/n, E-08028, Barcelona,
España. colombo@ub.edu
2 Dept. Geoquímica, Petrología y Prospección Geoló-
gica. Fac. Geología. Universidad de Barcelona, C/
Martí-i-Franquès s/n, E-08028, Barcelona, España.
In the Quaternary of the Maresme there
are a number of natural overelevated
straight streams of torrent channels located
at a level higher than the surrounding flood-
plains. These overelevated streams show a
distinct morphology and a channelized con-
vex-up sedimentary body where the vertical
accretion and the levee growth episodes are
coeval. These streams are characterized by
episodic water discharges that are interrupt-
ed by prolonged dry periods with no superfi-
cial water discharge.
The ”Riera” type stream corresponds to a
single channel of a sandy braided river. It is
short with steep gradient from 3.2% to 3.4%
in the Riera d’Arenys (Sobirans). The source
area is made up of granitic rocks that supply
large amounts of sandy sediments. The
“Ramblas”, located in the Barcelonès and
Maresme areas, are good examples of over-
elevated streams.
The term “Sobirans” is proposed for this
new model.
ESTIMATION OF SUSPENSION SEDIMENT
VOLUME IN TO THE FUTURE DAM OF
POTRERO DE LAS TABLAS ON RIO LULES.
TUCUMAN PROVINCE. REPUBLICA
ARGENTINA
Anibal Comba, Julian Soto
Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology. National
University of Tucumán. Independence Avenue 1800.
(4000). San Miguel de Tucumán (0381) 4354502-
155057213. anibalcombaa@yahoo.com.ar
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
The application of the methods of USLE,
MUSLE, GAVRILOFF and MATHEMATICAL
CORRELATION OF LIQUID AND SOLID VOL-
UMES is made, to estimate expectable future
volume of suspension sediment in dam of Po-
trero de las Tablas, on the Lules River in the
Province of Tucumán, Argentine Republic.
The necessary parameters for the application
of the mentioned methods are determined and
the hypotheses of work and the results ob-
tained with each one are compared.
The information to use is included in the
topics of morphology, hydrometric, hydrom-
eteorology, land use and fluvial hydraulics.
The results of the comparison are ex-
pressed graphically and in percentage.
Conclusions are obtained about the effec-
tiveness of the methods applied in mountain
river basins as the one of the Lules River and
the consequences of the sediment deposit in
the future dams are analyzed.
AN ESTUARINE FOSSIL ASSEMBLAGE
FROM THE YACORAITE FORMATION
(MAASTRICHTIAN-DANIAN) AND ITS
PALEOENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE.
JUJUY - NORTHWESTERN ARGENTINE
Cónsole Gonella, C. A.,1, 2 L.R. Horta,1 P.E. Herrera
O v i e d o , 1 M . G r i f f i n , 2 S . M . G e o r g i e f f, 1 ,
Aceñolaza 1 2 lands Quintijn.Clevis@shell.com
1 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML. Universidad
Nacional de Tu c u m á n . Miguel Lillo
T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
2 INSUGEO (Instituto Superior de Correlación Geoló-
gica) – CONICET. Miguel Lillo 205 (4000). S.M. de
Tucumán, Argentina.
3 IESGLO (Instituto de Estratigrafía y Geología Sedi-
mentaria Global). Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE, San
Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
We describe a brackish water fossil as-
semblage from Yacoraite Formation (Maas-
trichtian – Danian), in the localities of
Maimará and Jueya, Jujuy - Northwest Ar-
gentine. The dominant lithology of the study
levels is characterized by a calcareous sand-
stones succession, with ripplestratified struc-
ture, fining-upward. Fine to very fine sand-
stone lenses occur in this fossiliferous inter-
27
val. The sandstones are interpreted as storm
washover deposits. In these sequences we
have found numerous disarticulated remains
of fishes (Pycnodontiforms and Siluriforms),
fragments of tetrapods? (Tetrapoda), a tooth
of crocodile (Crocodylidae), preserved mol-
lusks (Gastropods and Bivalves) of problem-
atic taxonomy, stromatolites (LLHC, LLHS
and dome type). Also was identified a set of
fossil traces integrated by traces of birds
(Avipedidae) and Skolitos ichnofacies , be-
sides a Domichnia trace on an estromatolitic
rock, caused by a perforant bivalve, also
preserved. The study of the fossils assem-
blage, traces, sediments, and sedimentary
structures indicates a brackish mixed envi-
ronment, of low depth and high energy, prob-
ably estuarine.
GRADUAL LATERAL RIVER MIGRATION
INDUCED BY LATERAL FLOODPLAIN
TILTING; A 3D NUMERICAL SIMULATION
Arjan de Leeuw, 1 Quintijn Clevis, 2 Greg Tucker, 3
Poppe L. de Boer 1
1 Department of Earth Sciences, P.O. Box 80.021,
3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands. adeleeuw@
geo.uu.nl, pdeboer@geo.uu.nl
2 Shell International Exploration and Production B.V.,
3 F.G. Kessler Park 1, 2288 GS, Rijswijk, The Nether-
3 Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental
205, Sciences (CIRES) and Dept. of Geological Sciences,
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0399,
USA gtucker@cires.colorado.edu
Counter-intuitively meandering rivers
may migrate laterally upslope (Nanson,
1980; Peakall et al., 2000). Using the Chan-
nel Hillslope Integrated Landscape Develop-
ment Model (CHILD; Tucker et al, 2001; Cle-
vis et al., 2006) the effects of different tilt-
ing rates were analysed. During relatively
strong tilting (3.10-5 rad/1000 yr) river mi-
gration was found to be down-slope, and at
lower tilting rates (2.10-5 rad/1000 yr) ups-
lope migration occurs, while avulsions and
crevasses were not considered in the model.
A faster rate of meander expansion on the
lower side and the resulting preferential
28 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
meander cut-off was identified as one of the
mechanisms behind upslope migration (Nan-
son, 1980). Another potential element in up-
slope migration suggested by the numerical
simulations is the relatively fast overbank
accumulation on the lower side floodplain.
This may reverse the slope near the locus of
the river bed and thus the direction of lateral
migration.
References
Clevis, Q. Tucker, G.E., Lock, G., Lancaster, S.T.,
Gasparini, N., Desitter, A. & Bras, R.L.
(2006) Geoarchaeological Simulation of
Meandering River Deposits and Settlement
Distributions: A Three-Dimensional Ap-
proach. Geoarchaeology: An International
Journal 21, 843–874.
Nanson, G.C. (1980) A regional trend to mean-
der migration. Journal of Geology 88, 100-
108.
Peakall, J., Leeder, M.R., Best, J. & Ashworth,
P. (2000) River response to lateral ground
tilting: a synthesis and some inplications
for the modelling of fluvial architecture in
extensional basins. Basin Research 12,
413-424.
Tucker, G.E., Lancaster, S.T., Gasparini, N.M. &
Bras, R.L. (2001) The Channel–Hillslope
integrated landscape development model
(CHILD). In: W.W. Doe (Ed.) Landscape
Erosion and Sedimentation Modelling, Klu-
wer, New York, NY, pp. 349–388.
NEOPROTEROZOIC FLUVIAL-DELTAIC
DEPOSITS OF THE AMAZON CRATON: THE
PROSPERANÇA FORMATION, STATE OF
AMAZONAS, BRAZIL
Roberto César de Mendonça Barbosa,1 Afonso César
Rodrigues Nogueira, 2 Werner Truckenbrodt 2
1 Programa de Pós-graduação em Geologia e Geoquí-
mica, IG, UFPa, Brasil. robertocmbarbosa@
yahoo.com.br
2 Instituto de Geociência, UFPa, Brasil. anogueira@
ufpa.br; trucken@ufpa.br
Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks repre-
sented by the Prosperança Formation, cover-
ing the Guianas Shield in the northern part
of the Amazon craton, are poorly exposed
when compared with the Paleo to Mesoprot-
erozoic sedimentary record of this craton.
The Prosperança Formation consists of con-
glomerates, arkosic sandstones and mud-
stones, which fill graben structures. This
unit is overlain unconformably by carbonate
rocks of the Acari Formation (Neoproterozo-
ic) observed only in cores. These formations
represent the basement of the oil producing
Paleozoic basins of Amazonia and the pre-
cise characterization and paleoenvironmen-
tal reconstruction is important for their dis-
tinction from Paleozoic units. The strati-
graphic analysis of the Prosperança Forma-
tion was carried out along the margin of the
Negro and Jaú rivers at the northern part of
State of Amazonas. Three facies associations
were recognized and interpreted as products
of a fluvial-deltaic system: 1) prodelta/lacus-
trine, exhibiting laterally extensive sand-
stones/mudstones rhythmites and mudstones
interbedded with decimeter thick lenses of
climbing ripple cross-laminated sandstones;
2) delta front, consisting of fine sandstones
with complex cross-stratification character-
ized by sigmoidal strata, low angle to pla-
nar and climbing ripple cross-laminations,
locally associated with deformational sedi-
mentary structures; and 3) fluvial braided
plain, comprised of medium to coarse sand-
stones with planar and trough-cross bedding.
The sigmoidal lobes of the delta front were
fed by braided distributaries that migrated
mainly to SW, under hyperpycnal flow condi-
tions. Rhythmites and mudstones distributed
along several kilometers suggest a wide-
spread sedimentary basin probably of lacus-
trine origin. Lenticular medium to coarse
sandstones are related to migration of sub-
aqueous dunes, associated to fluvial-braided
processes. The top of the Prosperança For-
mation is marked by an expressive erosional
surface interpreted as a sequence boundary.
This interpretation is reinforced by the oc-
currence of an iron-rich sandy-pelitic mottled
to columnar horizon attributed to a paleo-
sol. The trough cross-bedded sandstones,
possibly of Paleozoic age, which overlies
unconformably the Prosperança Formation
migrated to NE and is in contrast to the SW-
directed cross-stratification of the Prosper-
ança sandstones
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 29

ular sandy channels interbedded in flood-

FLUVIAL RESPONSE TECTONIC FOLDING plain siltstones. The channels’ position shift-
AND TILTING IN THE EOCENE FORELAND ed step by step up section suggesting pulsate
BASIN, NW ARGENTINA migration of the thalweg of the valley. This
Cecilia del Papa, 1 Fernando Hongn 1 stratigraphic relation is interpreted as conse-
1 CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Salta, Av. Bolivia quence of local slow lateral cross-valley tilt-
5150, 4400 Salta, Argentina. delpapacecilia@ ing.
yahoo.com, fhongn@aol.com
References
The Andean foreland basin (Middle
Eocene-Present) in northwest of Argentina is Hongn, F., del Papa, C., Powell, J., Petrinovic,
characterized by very thick (ca. 8000 I., Mon, R. and Deraco, V. (2007). Middle
Eocene deformation and sedimentation in
meters) and coarsening upwards sequences the Puna-Eastern Cordillera transition
deposited in fluvial and alluvial fan environ- (23º-26ºS): Control by preexisting hetero-
ments. The Middle Eocene basal deposits are geneities on the pattern of initial Andean
well-recorded in the Puna-Cordillera Oriental shortening. Geology, 35, 271-274.
transition, where syn-tectonic sedimentation
in a complex style basin has been recently
documented (Hongn et al., 2007). INTEGRATED MODELING OF FLUVIAL FAN
These basal orogenic sequences are char- FRINGE SHEET SANDSTONE: TEN BOER
acterized by thick reddish siltstones and fine- CLAYSTONE MEMBER, SOUTHERN
to coarse- grained sandstones and conglom- PERMIAN BASIN, NW EUROPE
eratic levels deposited in extensive flood- M.E. Donselaar, 1 I. Overeem, 2 J.H.C. Reichwein, 3
plains and moderately sinuous channels and C.A. Visser 3
bar- braided alluvial settings. Notwithstand- 1 Dept. of Geotechnology, Delft Univ. of Technology,

ing local tectonic activity produced varia- Delft, P.O. Box 5048, 2600 GA Delft, The Nether-

tions in the fluvial drainage. lands. Email: m.e.donselaar@tudelft.nl

Well-exposed tectonic structures at Sala- 2 Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Univ. of

dillo (northern Calchaquí valley) permit con- Colorado, Campus Box 450, Boulder, 80309-0450,

fidence fluvial architectural reconstructions. Colorado, USA.

A west-vergent growth fold produced pro- 3 Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij B.V., Assen,

gressive unconformity surfaces and cumula- The Netherlands.

tive wedge-fan strata geometry. Strata are

sandy fluvial channels and are characterized The secondary reservoir potential of fluvi-
by fined-grained sandstones and very shal- al sheet sandstone beds in the Ten Boer Clay-
low channels in the pre-growth levels to stone Member (TBCM) was investigated,
coarse-grained sandstones and narrowing of with the aim to boost gas production in de-
channels in the sin-growth levels. Once the clining smaller fields surrounding the giant
folding processes ceased the sedimentation Dutch Rotliegend Slochteren Gas Field. The
re-establish it previous equilibrium with TBCM is a 40-110-m-thick shale-prone suc-
fined-grained sedimentation in the post- cession with thin fluvial sheet sandstone beds
growth levels. In this case, the coeval fold- deposited on a mud flat at the edge of the
ing aroused local migration, and steepening Silverpit Desert Lake in the Southern Permi-
of the fluvial gradient. an Basin of northwest Europe. Sedimentary
On the other hand, in the Tres Cruces structures in the 5-50 cm thick, very-fine to
area (Jujuy province), the sin-sedimentary medium-grained sandstone beds are wave
deformation is only evident by the careful ripple lamination, climbing-ripple and
observation of channels position up se- trough cross-lamination. Sand injection
quence. In this area, basal Andean foreland structures are common. Combined core and
sequences are characterized by highly lentic- well-log analysis allowed for the subdivision
30 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
of the succession in lithofacies cycles. Each
cycle comprises a shaley base, a sandy-silty
middle part and a shaley top, interpreted as
the result of wet-dry-wet climate cyclicity.
Log correlation of the TBCM succession in a
300 by 160 km area resulted in a 3-D static
reservoir architecture model of the fluvial
sheet sandstone and showed the development
in space and time of nested sandstone sheets
at the end of widely spaced south-north elon-
gated fluvial pathways.
Challenges were to assess the size, shape,
spatial distribution and connectivity of the
sheet sandstone. To achieve this, an outcrop
analogue study and process-driven forward
modeling experiments were carried out. The
outcrop study in the distal part of the Hues-
ca Fluvial Fan (Miocene, Spain) provided a
depositional model and size and shape data
of terminal sheet and crevasse splay and as-
sociated meandering river sandstone. The
data sets were used as input in forward mod-
eling experiments. Depositional scenarios
were performed for two populations of fluvi-
al channels: larger channels representative
for the lower floodplain and smaller, distrib-
utary channels at the most distal fringes of
the fluvial fan. The model results provided
insight in plume depositional thickness, area
and volumes and distribution of sand depos-
ited at the mouth of these channels.
The results of this study provide scenarios
to assess volume and connectivity potential
of thin-bedded distal fluvial reservoir sand-
stone bodies in the TBCM.
GEOMORPHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF
THE ATACAMA PLANATION SURFACE
L.A. Evenstar, 1 A.J. Hartley 1
1 Depar tment of Geology & Petroleum Geology,
School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen,
Aberdeen, AB24 3UE. Email; l.evenstar@abdn.ac.uk
The Atacama Planation Surface forms an
extensive westerly dipping, planar surface
developed between 17°S and 27°S along the
Pacific margin of South America. The plana-
tion surface is assumed to have formed at a
single time and has been used to constrain
both the onset of the hyperarid climate re-
gime that currently prevails along western
coast of South America and the beginning of
Andean uplift. The surface is formed due to
alluvial-fluvial processes and is well devel-
oped on the western flank of the High Andes
where it can be traced westwards from over
3000 m to 1000 m in the Longitudinal Valley
of northern Chile and close to sea-level in
northernmost Chile and southern Peru. It
ranges from 30 to 100 km in width and dips
westwards at between 1.5 and 3°. The pe-
diplain comprises 1 to 10 m thick gravels
that unconformably overlie a 3 to 8° westerly
dipping erosion surface developed on under-
lying Oligo-Miocene sediments and Pale-
ocene and older igneous rocks. Age con-
straints based on stratigraphic relationships
bracket the age of formation as between 16
and 8.3 Ma.
Analysis of satellite imagery, aerial pho-
tographs and field studies reveal the presence
of extensive alluvial-fluvial networks devel-
oped on the surface. These surfaces were
characterised and correlated from Southern
Peru through to the Central Depression. By
using cross cutting relationships, previous
studies of the planation surfaces, cosmogen-
ic isotope exposure ages and the age of su-
pergene enrichment located on each surface
the chronostratigraphy of the planation sur-
face can be reconstructed. These observa-
tions for planation surface formation indi-
cate that it is a composite feature compris-
ing a number of depositional and erosional
events superimposed on each other which
predate Andean uplift and formed during a
number of ‘wetter’ phases related to global
climatic events dating back to 23 Ma.
A SEDIMENTARY QUANTITATIVE MODEL
FOR THE BAJO BARREAL FORMATION
(CRETACEOUS): INTEGRATION BETWEEN
OUTCROPS AND SUBSURFACE DATA. SAN
JORGE BASIN, SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA
Leonor Ferreira, 1 Sergio M. Georgieff, 2 Agustina
Santangelo, 1 Yanko Kamerbeek 1
1 YPF SA, Av. Libertador 520, Km3, 9000 - Como-
doro Rivadavia, Argentina.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
2 IESGLO – U N T, Conicet,
T4000JFE – San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
The outcrops around the La Sin Nombre
Lake belong to the Bajo Barreal Formation
(Cretaceous, Chubut Group). These deposits
are analogs to the hydrocarbon-bearing res-
ervoirs in the adjacent Cerro Guadal Norte
oil field (YPF SA). At the present day, the
Bajo Barreal Formation is the major oil unit
in the San Jorge Basin (Santa Cruz Prov-
ince, Argentina). The distance between out-
crops and the nearest oil well is about 600m
and this one is towards the East-Northeast
direction of the outcrops.
In the outcrops, the dip ranges from 45ºE
(in the base) to 15ºE (at the top). A vertical
stratigraphic profile was measured in the out-
crops and 15 fluvial sandstone bodies were
recorded. The thicknesses of the sandstone
bodies vary from 1.5 to 3 m and the width
from tens to hundreds meters. The paleocur-
rent measurements indicate that the outcrops
are normal to oblique to the paleoflow direc-
tion and the sinuosities were obtained.
In the other hand, a detailed analysis was
performed in the oil-well by using microre-
sistive log images, cuttings and a set of log-
curves. The log images allowed defining the
synthetic sandstone-bodies; besides, the sed-
imentary structures, the thickness, and esti-
mations of paleocurrent directions were re-
corded. By comparing the surface deposits
with the images, it was possible to make a
facies analysis and define the presence of flu-
vial bars and channels.
Thus, the stratigraphic correlation be-
tween outcrops and the oil well mentioned
above is performed by using the seismic sec-
tions. A set of seismic horizons were devel-
oped, which is considering the amplitude as
a seismic attribute and useful tool to define
fluvial geoforms (Santangelo et al., 2009).
The integration among data (outcrops,
oil-well and 3D seismic) allowed obtaining
important fluvial parameters. The width is
from 150 to 250 m, while the sinuosity varies
from 1.15 to 1.35. The Bridge and Tye’s
(2000) equation was applied to calculate the
channel-width from log images, although
31
Miguel Lillo 205, these values were 25% higher to those mea-
sured in outcrops and seismic horizons.
The data coming from different sources
(surface and subsurface) allow optimizing
the quantitative sedimentary model for the
Bajo Barreal Formation and improve the oil
and gas production.
References
Santangelo, A.; Ferreira L.; Georgieff, S. (2009)
Characterization of fluvial geoforms from
3D seismic: examples for Cerro Guadal
Norte oil field, Chubut Group (Cretaceous),
San Jorge Basin, Argentina. 9 th ICFS, Tu-
cuman, Argentina.
Bridge John S. and Tye Robert S., (2000).Inter-
preting the dimensions of ancient flucial
channel bars, channels, and channel belts
fron wireline-logs and cores. AAPG Bulletin,
V.84, Nro. 84, P.1205-1228.
A FACIES MODEL FOR FLUVIAL SYSTEMS
IN THE SEASONAL TROPICS AND
SUBTROPICS
Christopher R. Fielding, 1 Jonathan P. Allen, 1 Jan
Alexander, 2 Martin R. Gibling 3
1 Department of Geosciences, 214 Bessey Hall, Uni-
versity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0340,
USA (cfielding2@unl.edu)
2 School of Environmental Sciences, University of
East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK.
3 Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University,
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3J5, Canada.
Facies models that summarize the depos-
its of fluvial systems are well-established for
humid climate settings and for desert envi-
ronments, but the deposits of rivers in the
sub-humid and semi-arid seasonal tropics
have been largely ignored. Yet, such rivers
drain large portions of Australia, Asia, South
America, and Africa. These rivers experience
strongly seasonal discharge, and drain land-
scapes where there is a considerable excess
of evaporation over precipitation and high
surface temperatures. One consequence of
this is that trees colonize the beds of rivers
to utilize the reliable water source, and are
adapted to this unusual ecological niche
where they are intermittently inundated by
32 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
fast-flowing water. It follows from their
abundance today and from the past position
of continental landmasses that the deposits
of seasonal tropical rivers must be well-rep-
resented in the stratigraphic record, but per-
haps are under-represented in the literature
because they are in some respects transition-
al between humid and arid end members.
Several major rivers drain large, sub-hu-
mid to semi-arid areas of NE Australia in-
cluding the Burdekin River which drains an
area of 129,000 km2 and discharges onto
the Great Barrier Reef shelf. Much of the
catchment experiences mean annual rainfall
of 500–700 mm. Precipitation is very strong-
ly seasonal, variable from year to year, and
controlled by the passage of tropical cy-
clones and monsoonal depressions. Intense
rainfall events cause short-duration, high-
magnitude runoff events (20,000 – 30,000
m3s-1 discharge events have a 10-16 yr re-
turn period). Event hydrographs for this and
other rivers of NE Australia rise extremely
rapidly to a sharp peak and decline almost
as rapidly. During the falling stage, riverbed
macroforms and mesoforms formed under
Froude-supercritical flow conditions, and
large scale dunes formed in deep subcritical
flow are frequently preserved as there is in-
sufficient time for them to adapt to falling
stage conditions. Whereas the hydrology of
these rivers is similar to those in other
strongly seasonal climatic settings, the com-
bination of strongly variable discharge and
river bed vegetation growth gives rise to dis-
tinctive characteristics. Our observations and
data from modern streams and recent depos-
its in NE Australia show how such rivers,
with extremely variable discharge, have dis-
tinctive deposit characteristics that are sub-
stantially different from conventional fluvial
facies models. These properties include 1)
erosionally-based channel-fill lithosomes
that exhibit complex lateral facies changes,
with 2) abundant, pedogenically-modified
mud partings, 3) complex internal architec-
ture that may lack the macroform elements
(lateral/downstream accretion structure) typ-
ical of other fluvial sediment bodies, 4) an
abundance of sedimentary structures formed
under high flow stage, and 5) an abundance
of in situ trees that colonize channel floors
and are adapted to inundation by fast-flow-
ing water. We illustrate examples of this flu-
vial style from the rock record, and set out a
new facies model. The recognition of such a
distinctive fluvial character, and of changes
in character through vertical successions,
will aid paleoclimate and reservoir analysis.
SHEET-LIKE FLUVIAL ARCHITECTURE ON
REGIONAL SCALES: EXAMPLES FROM THE
CRETACEOUS WESTERN INTERIOR
SEAWAY OF NORTH AMERICA
Christopher R. Fielding, 1 Matthew J. Corbett, 1
Lauren P. Birgenheier 2
1 Department of Geosciences, 214 Bessey Hall, Uni-
versity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0340,
USA (cfielding2@unl.edu)
2 Energy & Geoscience Institute, University of Utah,
423 Wakara Way, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, Utah
84108, USA.
Extant sequence stratigraphic models for
lowland/coastal plain fluvial successions
emphasize vertical changes in stratal stack-
ing patterns through a cycle of relative sea-
level change. According to these models, in-
cised valley surfaces form during drawdown
and lowstand of relative sea-level, are filled
and then pass upward into more isolated flu-
vial sandstone bodies formed during rising
relative sea-level, and in turn become more
amalgamated during highstand. It is appar-
ent, however, that not all lowland fluvial
successions conform to this pattern, with
many showing sequence boundaries of more
planar cross-sectional geometry (ie., lacking
significant valleys). Here, we draw attention
to this under-appreciated stacking pattern
by documenting the stratal architecture of
three Upper Cretaceous formations, broadly
of coastal plain origin, from the Henry
Mountains of south-central Utah, USA. The
succession as a whole represents a con-
densed equivalent of the better-known Book
Cliffs succession 100 km to the north.
In the Henry Mountains, the Ferron Sand-
stone comprises a stack of progradational
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
deltaic bodies, overlain by a series of dis-
tributary channel sandstones and coastal
floodbasin deposits. The channel bodies in
the latter appear to be amalgamated lateral-
ly to form single- to locally multi-storey
channel complexes of 10’s of km extent in a
depositional strike orientation. Lateral ex-
tent of these composite bodies is at least an
order of magnitude greater than the channel
belt width predicted from paleohydraulic
calculations or channel form dimensions.
Accordingly, the stack of sheet-like channel
complexes, separated by equally laterally
extensive floodbasin intervals, may be inter-
preted as a series of sequences, forced by rel-
ative sea-level fluctuation. The overlying
Muley Canyon Sandstone contains two inter-
vals of tidally-influenced fluvial deposits en-
closed by shoreface sandstones. Again, these
intervals are of regional extent (>20 km)
and sheet-like, with modest erosional relief
(<10 m) on basal sequence boundaries. The
most spectacular example of the sheet-like
fluvial stacking pattern occurs in the overly-
ing Masuk Formation, where several cycles
of fluvial channel bodies and intervening
coastal floodplain facies can be traced over
>10 km as continuous sheets, again strongly
suggesting an external forcing control on
their cross-sectional geometry. The common
factors among these three formations are the
prevalence of a sheet-like architecture to flu-
vial units, and their enclosing stratal inter-
vals, the condensed and incomplete nature of
sequences, and the lack of significant inci-
sional relief at the base of sequences. These
patterns suggest that fluvial channel com-
plexes apparently lacking incised valley fills
may in some cases nonetheless be records of
external forcing and may be of great lateral
extent.
SEDIMENTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHIC
ARCHITECTURE OF THE UPPER PALEOCENE
RÍO CHICO FORMATION, GOLFO SAN
JORGE BASIN, PATAGONIA ARGENTINA
Nicolás Foix, José M. Paredes
Dpto. de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales,
Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia “San Juan
33
Bosco”, Ruta Provincial N° 1 S/N Km. 4, (9005)
Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina - CONICET.
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
Técnicas.
The upper Paleocene Río Chico Formation
in the Golfo San Jorge basin (Central Pat-
agonia) is a 150-180m thick fluvial succes-
sion. This work consists of a description and
interpretation of stratigraphic sections of the
North Flank of the basin, from the northern
basin margin to the southern depocenters.
The palaeoenvironment analysis is primarily
based on the identification of lithofacies and
lithofacies associations. Spatial and tempo-
ral variations in the fluvial dynamic were
also analyzed by means of a detailed archi-
tectural analysis. Six lithofacies associations
were identified in the Río Chico Formation:
1) sheet-flood deposits; 2) braided channels;
3) straight to low-sinuosity channels; 4) me-
andering channels, 5) proximal floodplain
and 6) distal floodplain.
At the northern basin-margin (e.g. Estan-
cia Las Violetas, Estancia Chapital, Meseta
del Curioso) the Río Chico Formation con-
sists of a sandstone-rich succession (up to
75%) of sandy-gravelly channels with tabu-
lar appearance (W/Th=300-850) and low
palaeocurrent dispersion (S<1.3), interpret-
ed as a braided system. Tabular, single-event
sandbodies containing high-regime structures
were interpreted as sheet-flood deposits, ac-
cumulated during high-discharge flood
events.
In a basinward direction (e.g. Pto. Visser,
Punta Peligro Norte) channel sandbodies rep-
resent ~25% of the sections and multi-storey
sandbodies are narrow sheets with W/Th ~
30. Most of the sandbodies show abundance
of cut-fill structures and lack of lateral mi-
gration, displaying low palaeocurrent disper-
sion (S<1.5), being interpreted as straight to
low-sinuosity channels. Some channels con-
tain lateral accretion surfaces and show
high palaeocurrent dispersion, being inter-
preted as high-sinuosity fluvial channels
(5>S>1.7).
Lateral/vertical changes in the alluvial
architecture of the Río Chico Formation are
34 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
recognized by: 1) spatial and temporal vari-
ations in fluvial styles, 2) changes in the ge-
ometry of sandbodies and 3) changes in
channel/floodplain ratio across the basin.
Tabular, braided systems with high channel/
floodplain ratio are recognized close to the
basin margin, while in a basinward direc-
tion the channel/floodplain ratio reduces
and sandbodies show meandering and
straight to low-sinuosity patterns. These
stratigraphic changes are interpreted as spa-
tial/temporal variations in the accommoda-
tion rate, controlling the aggradation rate of
the alluvial system and fluvial styles.
POST-LGM INCISED VALLEYS IN THE
VENETIAN-FRIULIAN PLAIN (NE ITALY)
Alessandro Fontana
Department of Geography - University of Padova, Via
Del Santo 26, 35123 Padova (Italy).
alessandro.fontana@unipd.it
Recent geological surveys and cores al-
lowed to identify several incised valleys in
the distal sector of the alluvial megafans
between Venice Lagoon and the Karst Range.
From East to West, at least 2 incisions exist
in the Isonzo-Torre River megafan, 5 in the
Tagliamento River megafan and 4 in the Pi-
ave River megafan.
A major depositional phase occurred in
the area during LGM, when sedimentary sup-
ply fed by glaciers debouching in to the plain
supported a large and widespread aggrada-
tion. Along the present coastal plain, LGM
deposits are mud-dominated and have an
average thickness of 20-30 m. These sedi-
ments are cut by valleys which have a depth
of 15-30 m and a width of 600-2000 m. The
studied incised-valley fills (IVF) display a
similar internal architecture, characterized
by coarse gravel deposits at bottom and a
general fining-upward trend. Several phases
of abandonment and re-activation are re-
corded, but gravels are almost lacking in the
upper part of the IVF and their diameter is
considerably finer than the basal gravel.
Radiocarbon datings demonstrate that
fluvial entrenchment and coarse-gravel
transport occurred during Lateglacial and
early Holocene and stopped around 8.0-7.0
ka cal. BP. Since 7.0 ka cal. BP some aban-
doned incisions were drowned by marine
transgression; this process led to the forma-
tion of 15-km long tidal inlets and to the
deposition of lagoon and estuarine sediments
inside the incisions. This particular palaeo-
geographic setting played a major role in
constraining the ancient human settlements.
Valley formation has been mainly con-
trolled by the dramatic change of sedimenta-
ry supply occurred at the LGM/post-LGM
boundary, due to the transition from fluvio-
glacial to fluvial processes. Also the valley
lakes, triggered by the large landslides oc-
curred in the mountain catchments after de-
glaciation, largely contributed to stop the
sedimentary flux towards the plain. The IVFs
have been affected by the internal evolution
of the fluvial systems and specially by the
avulsions, which activated and/or deactivat-
ed different sectors of the megafans, and,
thus, different incisions. Sea-level rise influ-
enced the filling of the valleys only since 8.0
ka cal. BP, but this factor had a paramount
importance in the last millennia. The phase
of fluvial ridges formation which interested
the Venetian-Friulian coastal plain during
late Holocene, specially since 3.0 ka cal BP,
brought to silt-up the valleys almost com-
pletely.
POROSITY PREDICTION FOR FLUVIAL
SAND-GRAVEL MIXTURES
Frings, R.M. 1
1 Dept of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, PO
box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, Netherlands.
1 Dept M3, Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde, PO
box 200253, D-56002 Koblenz, Germany.
1 R.Frings@geo.uu.nl
The porosity, defined as the ratio of pore
volume to total volume, is one of the key prop-
erties of sediment mixtures. It determines the
storage capacity for oil, gas and groundwa-
ter, the pressure fluctuations leading to initia-
tion of sediment motion, the oxygen flow into
the hyporheic zone, the efficiency of measure-
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 35

ment devices and affect many other processes. of the river Rhine and by incorporating the
The porosity of fluvial sediments can be mea- predictors into the morphological modelling
sured with standard well-logging techniques, software Delft3D.
such as neutron probes, but also be predicted
with porosity predictors. The objective of this
study was to determine the accuracy of such CHARACTERIZATION OF FLUVIAL
porosity predictors for modern, fluvial, sand- SANDSTONES IN CERRO GUADAL NORTE
gravel mixtures. OIL FIELD, GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN,
To obtain an accurate, independent data- SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA
base of porosity data, we collected 52 large, Sergio M. Georgieff, 1, 2 José A. Sosa Gómez, 1
homogeneous sediment samples from the Leonor Ferreira, 3 María Eugenia Vides, 4 Lucía M.
channel bed of the river Rhine. A diving bell Ibañez, 1,4 Ramona Ovejero, 1 Gerardo E. Bossi, 1
was applied to prevent sediment loss by Agustina Santangelo, 3 Guiller mo A.V. Richter, 5
flowing water during sampling. Sediment Karina B. Anis, 1 Esteban M. Pieroni, 3 Sebastián
size ranged from 0.06 mm to 125 mm, with Moyano, 1 Yanko Kamerbeek 3
distributions varying from unimodal to bimo- 1 IESGLO – U N T, Conicet, Miguel Lillo 205,
dal. The porosity was determined in-situ T4000JFE – San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
with the water-saturation method and found 2 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
to vary between 10 and 40 percent. Labora- Técnicas, CONICET.
tory analysis included determination of grain 3 YPF SA, Av. Libertador 520, Km3, 9000 - Como-
size, grain shape and ex-situ porosity. doro Rivadavia, Argentina.
The capability to reproduce the measured 4 Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251,
porosity values was tested for six porosity pre- T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán,
dictors, using the median grain size (D), the Argentina.
sediment standard deviation (s) or the full 5 Minera Aguilar SA, Jujuy, Argentina.
grain size distribution (GSD) as input param-
eter. Whereas the D-based predictors were The extensive Cretaceous fluvial outcrops,
found to be theoretically unsound, the s-based around the La Sin Nombre Lake, allow per-
predictors realistically predict a decrease of forming stratigraphy, sedimentology and tec-
porosity with mixture bimodality. The sophis- tonic studies. The outcrops belong to Bajo
ticated GSD-based predictors, however, per- Barreal Formation and correspond to the
form best. Although these predictors tend to sides and the plunge of an asymmetrical an-
underestimate the porosity slightly, they pro- ticline oriented North-South. The study area
duce equally good results as empirical predic- is an active oil field belonging to YPF SA at
tors based on the Rhine data. the north of Santa Cruz Province in the Golfo
The relatively high error variance of the San Jorge Basin, Argentina.
predictions illustrates that apart from grain One hundred fifteen sandstones and twen-
size, other parameters have a distinct influ- ty mudstones were sampled from three
ence on porosity. Especially the angularity of stratigraphic profiles; all the samples were
the grains seems to be important, as it deter- georeferenced with gps and sandstones were
mines the bridging tendency during packing. oriented to the magnetic north. Petrography
The mechanism of deposition is thought to and porosity studies were realized from thin
play a vital role too, because it governs the section and the mineralogy of mudstones,
magnitude and direction of forces during the cements and matrixes of sandstone were
packing. searched using X ray diffractions (Ibañez et
Despite their shortcomings, porosity pre- al. 2009; Vides et al. 2009, in this volume).
dictors provide valuable insights into the The structural geology was studied
spatial variability of porosity in rivers and through field works and seismic line analy-
river deposits. This is demonstrated by apply- sis, and it shows the interplay between ex-
ing the predictors to 4,500 measured GSDs tensive and compressive stresses contempo-
36 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
raneous with the sedimentation (Sosa
Gómez et al. 2008). The faults produced a
stacking of sandstone bodies in the western
side of the anticline (Gutierrez et al. 2009,
in this volume).
The stratigraphic profiles were correlated
according their lithostratigraphic character-
istics and the interpretation is also support-
ed with seismic data. The paleocurrent di-
rections show local orientations toward
north (in the southern outcrops) either east
or southeast (in the northern outcrops) but
all of them converge to the center-east area
of the oil field. This dispersion could be re-
lated to the activity of the faults during the
deposition. The sinuosity of channels is low
between 1.1 and 1.3.
The width of sandstone bodies range
from some few tens to 200 m or 300 m, only
at the top of the sequence and in some few
channel belts the width could reach 600 m.
The mean thickness varies from 1.6 to al-
most 3 m.
The fluvial architectural studies indicate
lenticular isolated channel belts, mainly
monochannel but some multichannel belts
were also described. The thicker sandstone
bodies represent permanent rivers, while the
thinner ones are interpreted as ephemeral
crevasse channels with evidences of organic
activity onto a mud floodplain.
AN ESTIMATE OF THE PATTERN OF
FLUVIAL EROSION FOR THE HIMALAYAS
Parthasarathi Ghosh
Geological Studies Unit, Indian Statistical Institute,
203 B.T. Road, Kolkata, India, pghosh@isical.ac.in
The present-day physiography of the Hi-
malayan mountain belt, an active orogen, is
an expression of complex interplay between
the tectonic and erosional processes. It has
been hypothesized that the orographic barri-
er initially produced by the tectonic uplift
was sufficiently large to induce monsoonal
circulation leading to enhanced precipitation
over the orogen. After the last deglaciation a
major part of the orogen is being denuded by
fluvial processes aided by monsoonal precip-
itation and mass wasting. It has been debat-
ed if this precipitation-enhanced erosion is
also influencing the kinematics of the orogen
and a lack of consensus highlights the need
for more comprehensive understanding.
As a part of multidisciplinary initiatives
to understand the interplay between different
earth processes, this study employs terrain
analysis techniques to estimate the pattern of
erosion across a major part of the Himalay-
an orogen. The spatial interrelationships
between the erosion pattern, precipitation
and the disposition of litho-tectonic units are
investigated in this study.
The technique when applied to digital
elevation datasets identifies three major
classes of hinterland catchment basins that
supplies sediment and water to the foredeep.
These classes are distinct by their size, fre-
quency and “drained-litho-type”. These three
classes of basins are disposed in three oro-
gen parallel bands. Moreover, the estimates
of erosion are found to vary significantly
both across and along the orogen. It has
been noted that the erosion estimates for the
interior parts the catchment basins are larger
compared to that for their downstream ends.
On the other hand, the central part of the
orogen is found to be most intensely denuded
compared to its eastern and western extrem-
ities. This pattern of denudation show signif-
icant spatial correlation with the pattern of
precipitation and the disposition of the litho-
tectonic units of the Himalayas.
TRANSITION OF THE MIDDLE AMAZON
RIVER IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATIC
CHANGE
Jose Max Gonzalez R o z o , 1, 2 Afonso César
Rodrigues Nogueira, 2 Werner Truckenbrodt 2
1 Programa de Pós-graduação em Geociências, De-
partamento de Geociências, Universidade Federal
do Amazonas, Brasil. jmaxgr@ufam.edu.br
2 Programa de Pós-graduação em Geologia e Geoquí-
mica, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Fede-
ral do Pará, Brasil.
The Amazon River is the main component
of a complex ecosystem characterized by
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
high biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest.
The evolution of this system, especially dur-
ing the Holocene, is still not well under-
stood, with only a few detailed characteriza-
tions of small sections of the system report-
ed. In this context we studied the middle
Amazon River between Manaus and the
mouth of the Madeira. The use of remote
sensing tools and geomorphologic and
stratigraphic analysis allowed the identifica-
tion of an anastomosing pattern of the Ama-
zon River, based on a very low gradient, clay
dominated, vegetated, rather permanent is-
lands, whose heights roughly correspond to
those of the adjacent floodplain, steep-sided
channel margin with locally displaced
blocks (“terra caída”). Also indicative of this
patterns are great water-depth near the bank
and outlines of islands and channels that
have remained largely unchanged over the
period from 1986 to 2001. Beyond classify-
ing this reach of the Amazon River as anas-
tomosing, evidence is provided for its evolu-
tion from meandering during the mid Ho-
locene. This evidence is strongly supported
by the presence of inclined heterolithic strat-
ification of point bars. Additionally, the point
bars exhibit distinctive morphological sets of
scroll bars indicating a multistory lateral
migration of the Amazon River before evolv-
ing into an anastomosing pattern.
We propose that climate change leading
to increased humidity as recorded between
6000 and 4000 yr BP, correlated with a rela-
tive base-level (sea-level) rise, influenced the
development of the fluvial pattern change.
INTERPRETATION AND FLUVIAL
PARAMETERS OF SUBSURFACE
SANDSTONE BODIES, CASTILLO AND
BAJO BARREAL FORMATIONS
(CRETACEOUS) IN THE CAÑADÓN VASCO
OIL FIELD, GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN,
SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA
Sebastián Grignola,1 Sergio M. Georgieff,1,
Ferreira 3
1 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales – Universidad Na-
cional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE,
San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán – Argentina.
37
sebasgrignola@hotmail.com
2 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
Técnicas, CONICET.
3 YPF SA, Av. Libertador 520, Km3, 9000 - Como-
doro Rivadavia, Argentina. mlferreirap@ypf.com
The interpretation of resistivity imaging
logs allows identifying sedimentary struc-
tures, thicknesses, contacts hierarchies, pale-
ocurrent directions and other details (e.g.
bioturbation, intraclasts, root fragments and
an inference of grain size). These data were
compared with cutting samples and outcrops
data in order to improve the sedimentologi-
cal model for Bajo Barreal and Castillo For-
mations (Cretaceous).
The Cañadón Vasco oil field is located in
the southern border of the Golfo San Jorge
Basin (Argentina); near to the oil field, the
Ballena Hill shows extensive fluvial deposits
belonging to Bajo Barreal Formation. Thus,
a stratigraphic correlation between them
was proposed by using seismic lines. The
Ballena Hill and the Cañadón Vasco oil
fields show a strong tectonic control pro-
duced by a NW-SE normal fault reversed dur-
ing Late Cretaceous.
The integration of cutting samples (grain
size and color) and resistivity imaging log
allowed obtaining a stratigraphic log.
Twelve sandstone bodies belonging to Bajo
Barreal and Castillo Formations were ana-
lyzed following this method and ten litho-
facies were defined from this study. The
litho-facies assemblages were assigned to
channel, crevasse channel, channel bar,
splay and floodplain deposits. The sandstone
bodies thickness (trough cross stratification)
and paleocurrent directions were used to
apply the Mackey and Bridge’s equation
(1995) and obtain the channel belt width.
The sandstone bodies were also associated
with the SP and resistivity wire-logs to de-
fine a group of electro-facies. Finally, seis-
mic horizon slices related to the sandstone
2 Leonor bodies studied were also analyzed as intent
to merge litho– and electro-facies assem-
blages and seismic geoforms.
As paleocurrent directions coming from
imaging log as seismic horizon slices are
38 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
coincident in to point out several changes in
the channel pattern and sinuosity. Most no-
ticeable change occurs for those strata be-
longing to the lower section of Bajo Barreal
Formation (informally named “tobácea sec-
tion”). The sinuosity increases from 1.15 to
around 2 and the channel belt wide reaches
500m.
The sedimentary model of electro-facies
may apply to wells (in the same or another
oil field) without assistance of imaging log
but with available 3D seismic information.
TECTOSEDIMENTATION AND COMBINED
TRAPS IN THE SANDSTONE
HYDROCARBON-BEARING OF THE BAJO
BARREAL FORMATION (CRETACEOUS) AT
LA SIN NOMBRE LAKE, GOLFO SAN
JORGE BASIN, SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA
Raul Gutierrez, 1, 2 Agustina Santangello 3
1 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML – Universi-
dad Nacional de Tucumán. Miguel Lillo 205,
T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
2 IESGLO (Instituto de Estratigrafía y Geología Sedi-
mentaria Global). Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE, San
Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
3 YPF SA, Av. Libertador 520, Km3, 9000 - Como-
doro Rivadavia, Argentina.
The main purpose of this contributionis to
proposes a sedimentary model that explains
the syntectonic deposition of fluvial sand-
stone bodies in the Bajo Barreal Formation
in the Golfo San Jorge Basin (Argentina).
The study area is located in the western side
of La Sin Nombre Lake at the north of the
Santa Cruz Province, approximately 46 ° 30
’51.8 “S and 69 ° 25' 48.1” W. The zone was
folded and faulted during the Late Creta-
ceous and mainly during Tertiary. The axis
of the anticline is oriented in north-south di-
rection. The deposits crop out on the western
side of the anticline. The deposits have been
assigned to the Bajo Barreal Formation (Cre-
taceous) through lithostratigraphic correla-
tion and seismic data (Santangelo et al.
2009, in this volume). Along the stratigraph-
ic log it is possible to recognize fourteen
sandstone bodies; most of them show both
dry and fluid oil impregnations. The sand-
stone bodies appear isolated in the base of
the stratigraphic log and they are stacked at
the top of the sequence. The main geometry
is lenticular and frequently both margins are
exposed, but in few cases the geometry is
tabular. The strike of the strata is N10ºW
and the dip varies from 6° to 12°W.
The area was recorded by gps, the base
and top of all sandstone bodies, major and
secondary faults were mapped. The major
faults show dextral strike-slip motion, and
they are listric faults.
Short lateral logs, measurements of pale-
ocurrent directions and photomosaics were
recorded for the fourteen sandstone bodies in
order to reconstruct the geometries, orienta-
tions and channel patterns of those Creta-
ceous rivers. The grain size of channel belt
deposits is medium to coarse sandstone and
fine gravel (mainly clasts of tuff), which are
associated to the faults activities. The main
sedimentary structure is trough cross strata
but planar stratification and ripple marks
were also observed at the top of the channel
belt deposits. The mean thickness of sand-
stones bodies is 1.23m and the standard de-
viation 0.98 but two main modes were ob-
tained: 0.5-1m and 2-2.5 m; the first repre-
sent crevasse channels and the second the
main channels. The apparent width ranges
from 15m to 105 and the mean width is
41.44 m and the standard deviation of 30.3.
In order to obtain the paleocurrent direc-
tions, fifty five trough cross strata were
measured in the stratigraphic profile and
from ten channel belts. The mean paleocur-
rent direction is toward N110º but varies
from N320º to N193º. The facies and facies
assemblages indicate sandy channel belts
flowed onto a silt-clayed floodplain. The
channel belts are formed by main and sec-
ondary channels, lateral- and mid-bars.
The deposition of the sandstones bodies
(high connectivity of channel belts), and the
migration patterns were controlled by the
main faults, which also behave as seals.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 39

very well rounded and comprise a range of

SEDIMENTOLOGICAL AND lithologies including mainly quartzite,
PALAEOHYDROLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON andesite, metasediments and granites. Max-
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LATE SILURIAN imum long axis clast sizes range from 5 to
TO EARLY DEVONIAN ‘SYN-RIFT’ FLUVIAL 100 cm. Similar clast types and palaeocur-
SUCCESSION IN THE MIDLAND VALLEY rents indicating derivation from the north-
BASIN, SCOTLAND east, are present in both the underlying
Adrian Hartley, Stuart Archer, Stephanie Davidson, sandstones and the conglomerates indicating
Tim Davis, Laura Evenstar, Sophie Leleu no obvious change in source area composi-
Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology, Univer- tion or location across this major grain size
sity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, U.K. transition. Palaeohydrological data derived
a.hartley@abdn.ac.uk from Manning’s equation, which uses clast
dimensions to estimate discharge, suggest
The approximately 9000 m thick Upper that the conglomerates were deposited by
Silurian to Lower Devonian fluvial succes- high magnitude flood events. A comparison
sion in the Midland Valley Basin, Scotland with modern day systems in which similar
(referred to as the Lower Old Red Sand- flood events occur indicates a basinal loca-
stone), has been studied extensively over the tion immediately adjacent to a high relief
last 150 years. Deposition is thought to have catchment. This suggests the presence of a
occurred in an active extensional/transten- high relief catchment immediately NE of the
sional basin and a number of models have basin in contrast to previously published
been proposed to explain the documented models. In addition, whilst this is a prelimi-
facies and provenance data. Two end-mem- nary study, it appears that palaeohydrologi-
ber models have emerged that include either, cal information can greatly enhance our un-
1) derivation from a large-scale axial fluvial derstanding of ancient fluvial successions.
system that drained a source area located to
the east on the Baltic Shield or 2) deposition
on alluvial fans that formed along an active DISTRIBUTIVE FLUVIAL SYSTEMS (DFS): A
fault (the Highland Boundary Fault) along RE-EVALUATION OF FLUVIAL FACIES
the northern flank of the basin. In order to MODELS
assess which, if either, of these models may A.J. Hartley, 1 G.S. Weissmann, 2 G.J. Nichols 3
be appropriate we have undertaken a sedi- 1 Depar tment of Geology & Petroleum Geology,
mentological study of the lower part of the School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen,
Lower Old Red Sandstone succession with the Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, U.K. a.hartley@abdn.ac.uk
aim of identifying the nature of the alluvial 2 University of New Mexico, Department of Earth and
system and to apply palaeohydrological tech- Planetary Sciences, MSC03 2040, 1 University of
niques to determine possible discharge esti- New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001,
mates from which to provide information on U.S.A.
the drainage basin. 3 Department of Geology, Royal Holloway, University
The Lower Old Red Sandstone succession of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, U.K.
shows a rapid transition from discrete sand-
stone bodies that form channel packages 1 Analysis of ~700 modern continental sed-
to 3 m thick separated by mudstones, into 1 imentary basins from around the world (i.e.,
to 10 m thick packages of pebble and boul- those that may be preserved in the rock
der conglomerates with sandstone interbeds record) reveals that rivers in these basins are
(the latter comprise < 5% of the total out- not tributary in nature; rather they form ei-
crop). The conglomerates are organised into ther (1) distributive fluvial systems (DFS),
1 to 5 m thick coarsening or fining upwards commonly called megafans, fluvial fans, and
packages and display extensive imbrication. alluvial fans, or (2) axial stream systems
Clasts within the conglomerates are well to that parallel the basin trend, with the vast
40 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
majority of sedimentation in the basin occur-
ring on the DFS (up to 95%). Yet, most fluvi-
al facies models are based on rivers in tribu-
tary, degradational settings. In these conti-
nental sedimentary basins, we identified
~400 fluvial megafans (defined as DFS >
30 km in length), with numerous smaller
DFS filling the basins. Thus, most sedimenta-
ry basins undergoing aggradation do not
contain tributary fluvial systems except in
the axial position.
Characteristic features of DFS that differ
from tributary systems include: 1) a radial
pattern of channels away from an apex (or
intersection point), 2) a downstream de-
crease in channel width and discharge, 3)
floodplains dominated by avulsion deposits,
4) greater preservation of floodplain deposits
associated with braided streams.
Studies of modern DFS indicate that gen-
eral trends and relationships between plan-
form type, length, gradient, tectonic setting,
climate (in the catchment and basin) and
termination style can be observed in DFS.
DFS length is controlled by the available
horizontal accommodation space which in
turn is strongly related to tectonic setting.
The longest DFS occur in peripheral foreland
basins and cratonic settings where lateral
systems can develop across an extensive bas-
inwards slope. Extensional, strike-slip and
intra-thrust belt basins are narrower and
have much more limited horizontal accom-
modation space. Consequently DFS devel-
oped in these settings are shorter with radii
often less than 30 km. DFS dominate in
aggradational settings such as actively sub-
siding sedimentary basins and will therefore
form a significant proportion of alluvial sed-
imentary successions preserved in the rock
record.
FROM RIVER VALLEY TO ESTUARY:
EUSTATIC AND GLACIO-TECTONIC
CONTROLS ON THE EARLY-MIDDLE
HOLOCENE RHINE-MEUSE SYSTEM, THE
NETHERLANDS
Marc P. Hijma
Dept. of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences,
Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.115, 3508 TC, the
Netherlands.
mphijma@hotmail.com, m.hijma@geo.uu.nl
This paper focuses on the palaeogeo-
graphic development of the Rhine-Meuse riv-
er mouth (the Netherlands) in the early-mid-
dle Holocene. During the Holocene transgres-
sion, an area of 800 km2 transformed from
valley to estuary within 200 years (8.5-8.3
ka BP: sea-level jump; Hijma and Cohen,
subm.). Initially, overbank deposition started
to increase (fluvial onlap of lowstand system
tract) accompanied by widespread peat for-
mation. The transition to the transgressive
system tract (transgressive surface) is diach-
ronous, but mainly occurred during the
jump. The surface predominantly separates
fluvial from fluvial-tidal deposits and is
characterized by a gyttjaic deposit. Farther
landward, the environment remained fluvial,
but with subaqueous deposition within per-
manently flooded flood basins. After ~6 ka
BP retrogradation of the coastline halted
and subsequently most tidal inlets closed and
extensive peat formation began at the base
of the highstand system tract. We will illus-
trate the changing facies and transition with
several photos and detailed maps.
The study area is situated in a long term
subsiding basin (North Sea). Towards and
during the Last Glacial Maximum it was lo-
cated just south of a zone of maximum fore-
bulge upwarping and consequently in an
area of accelerated subsidence in Late Gla-
cial and early-middle Holocene times
(Busschers et al., 2007). Rates of relative
sea-level rise were therefore high (> 1 m/
100 yr) and between 8.5-8.3 ka BP reached
rates of > 2 m/100 yr. In the case of the
Rhine-Meuse mouth, this is well reconstructa-
ble because of 1) favourable antecedent to-
pography and subsidence setting; 2) long his-
tory of coring, mapping, dating, establish-
ing facies models; 3) New 3D-techniques of
dealing with the wealth of data and 4) key
papers produced in recent years: Busschers
et al. (2007; last glacial), Hijma et al.
(2009; last glacial - Holocene) and Hijma
and Cohen (subm.; sea-level history). This
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 41

research increases our knowledge of the re- geographic contexts and compares the facies
sponse of fluvial-estuarine systems to rapid in their distal floodplains.
sea-level rise and therefore will benefit plan- 1) The first case is the Gómara Fm. in
ning and designing coastal protection works the Palaeogene succession of the Almazán
during the expected future sea-level rise. basin (Spain) which shows a thick (> 3000
m) fluvial record. The Gómara Fm. in the A3
References depositional sequence of the basin displays a
highly vertical connected sheet like conglom-
Busschers, F.S., Kasse, C., van Balen, R.T., erate bodies. These bodies are 20-30 m thick
Vandenberghe, J., Cohen, K.M., Weerts, and 500-3000 m width, and the channel
H.J.T., Wallinga, J., Johns, C., Cleveringa,
P. and Bunnik, F.P.M. (2007) Late Pleis-
body/floodplain proportion is 50.2 %. Later-
tocene evolution of the Rhine-Meuse sys- ally, on the distal floodplain, there is an im-
tem in the southern North Sea basin: portant development of mature calcretes.
imprints of climate change, sea-level oscil- Sometimes several (3-5) calcrete profiles
lation and glacio-isostacy. Quaternary Sci- occur stacked vertically. 2) The second case
ence Reviews, 26, 3216-3248.
Hijma, M.P. and Cohen, K.M. (Submitted) Timing
is the Plio-Pleistocene (s.l.) fluvial fan depos-
and magnitude of the sea-level jump pre- its of the Duero basin (Rañas), which are
luding the 8,200 yr event. sheet like conglomerate bodies with high lat-
Hijma, M.P., Cohen, K.M., Hoffmann, G., Van der eral connectivity that are associated with
Spek, A.J.F. and Stouthamer, E. (2009) red muddy sands in the proximal areas
From river valley to estuary: the evolution
of the Rhine mouth in the early to middle
These deposits are several (5-20) km width,
Holocene (western Netherlands, Rhine- and commonly 2-5 m thick. The length from
Meuse delta). Netherlands Journal of Geo- the mountain front (spill point) to the most
sciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 88, 13- distal conglomerate outcrops ranges from 15
53. to 70 km. In the most of the cases the distal
floodplain deposits has been eroded and
evacuated, and only some relics are pre-
SHEET LIKE CHANNEL BODIES, served in karstic depressions within the un-
WEATHERING AND CALCRETES. A derlying upper Miocene limestones. The
COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO EXAMPLES Raña deposits underwent intense weathering
OF THE DUERO AND ALMAZÁN BASIN and pedogenesis, the most spectacular prod-
(SPAIN) uct being the lateral washing of the finer
Pedro Huerta, Ildefonso Armenteros, Pablo Gabriel
matrix with subsequent residual gravel accu-
Silva
mulations toped by well-developed red soils.
Dpt. Geology, University of Salamanca, EPS Ávila,
The sheet-like conglomerates record the
05003 Ávila Spain. phuerta@usal.es
stage of reduced accommodation space pre-
ceding the Quaternary fluvial dissection of
The way external forcing controls large the Neogene endorheic Duero Basin.
scale fluvial architecture is even today a de- In both cases, tectonic uplift, eventual
bate matter. The LAB (Leeder-Allen-Bridge) basin overfilling, stable planation surfaces
models interpret high-density channel sys- linked to intense weathering (under different
tems as the result of decreasing accommoda- climatic conditions), are linked to the epi-
tion space and qualitative models predict sodes of decreasing accommodation space. In
sheet like channel geometries for this stages. the latter case preceding the eventual fluvial
However, some experimental models show dissection of the ancient sedimentary basin.
linkage between development of high densi- Acknowledgements: this study has been
ty channel belts and increasing basin ac- supported by the Spanish Research Projects
commodation space. This study analyzes two CGL2005-05953 C02-01 and CGL2008-
field examples with highly connected sheet 05584-C02-01.
like channel bodies in two different palaeo-
42 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
CHANNEL ABANDONMENT PROCESSES IN
THE MAHAKAM DELTA, EAST BORNEO,
INDONESIA
Salahuddin Husein, 1 Joseph J. Lambiase 2
1 Dept. of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Enginee-
ring, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Grafika 01,
Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia. shddin@gmail.com
2 Lambiase Geoscience PTE LTO, 5000J Marine Pa-
rade Road #24-42, Singapore 449291, Republic of
Singapore.
The modern Mahakam Delta has been
acknowledged as a typical example of a
tropical mixed fluvial and tide-dominated
delta. Its subaerial delta plain has a fan-
shaped morphology and is dissected by nu-
merous distributary and estuary channels. As
distributaries branch seaward out from the
delta apex, they can be grouped into the
northern and southern areas, while the cen-
tral area is only occupied by estuaries. Some
morphological evidences suggest that distrib-
utaries can be abandoned and converted into
estuaries.
This study investigates the distributary
abandonment processes in the northern area
which has 3 distributaries and 3 estuaries.
Channels morphology was studied by 85 high
resolution echo-sounding profiles, bottom
sedimentary facies was reconstructed by 143
grab sediment samples and hydrodynamics
data were systematically measured at 10 loca-
tions for complete spring and neap tidal cy-
cles. Distributaries exhibit relatively straight
channels with flaring mouths while estuaries
are more sinuous and have deeper and small-
er mouths. Sand is more distributed in the
bottom of, and thus covered a larger part of,
the active distributaries than in the aban-
doned distributaries and gradually fines sea-
ward but does not extend to the channel
mouths while mud dominates the estuaries
and the distal reaches of the distributaries.
Hydrodynamic data indicates that the inter-
action of fluvial and tidal processes is dy-
namically active along the entire length of the
distributaries. Fluvial processes dominate the
sandy reaches of the distributaries, while tides
are the most important process in the lower
reaches of active distributaries, the inactive
distributaries and estuaries.
This study suggests that the channel
abandonment processes in the Mahakam
Delta is sequential. As the tidal processes
become more dominant, fluvially-supplied
sand is being stored onshore in the distribu-
taries and tidal processes are modifying dis-
tributary morphology and dominating sedi-
mentary facies progressively further land-
ward. These processes influence the distribu-
tion of the potential reservoir in the delta
plain.
PETROGRAPHY AND POROSITY IN
FLUVIAL HYDROCARBON–BEARING
SANDSTONES. BAJO BARREAL
FORMATION (CRETACEOUS), SAN JORGE
BASIN, ARGENTINA
Lucía M. Ibañez , 1, 2 Ramona Ovejero , 2 Sergio
Georgieff, 2, 3 Leonor Ferreira, 4 Gerardo E. Bossi 2
1 Fundación Miguel Lillo. Universidad Nacional de
Tucumán.
2 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML – Universi-
dad Nacional de Tucumán. Miguel Lillo 205,
T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
3 CONICET – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones
Científicas y Tecnológicas.
4 YPF SA, Av. Libertador 520, Km3, 9000 - Como-
doro Rivadavia, Argentina.
Petrography and porosity studies were
performed to improve the knowledge about
fluid migrations throughout Cretaceous fluvi-
al sandstones in the Cerro Guadal Norte oil
field (San Jorge Basin, Santa Cruz Province,
Argentina) and the additional hydrocarbon
recovery projects.
Upper section of the Bajo Barreal Forma-
tion (Turonian) is composed of fine and me-
dium sandstones which show mainly cross
trough stratification but also planar, massive
and ripple lamination. Occasionally, a silt
parallel lamination is observed at the top of
sandstone bodies.
The fluvial sandstone bodies are well ex-
posed around La Sin Nombre small Lake,
where two stratigraphic logs were described.
Besides, architectural descriptions in some
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
representative sandstones bodies, fully ex-
posed, and additional short detailed logs sep-
arated by tens of meters each were recorded.
Forty nine orientated medium sandstones
were sampled along the vertical logs and in
a laterally described body. Two petrographic
slides were prepared from each sample. One
is parallel to the plane formed by the strati-
fication surface and the North, and the other
perpendicular to the North direction. There-
by ninety six slides were described.
The sandstones are mainly feldspar lith-
arenites and there are some litharenites and
feldspar wackes. Almost all of them are sub-
matures. The mean porosity is around 18 %
which varies from homogeneous to hetero-
geneous. Clays, zeolitic, siliceous and car-
bonatic cements are present in different pro-
portions.
A comparison among petrography, poros-
ity and architectural studies indicates an in-
crease of zeolitic cements at the top of sand-
stone body; while the clays are predominant
in the base of channels. Furthermore, the
porosity decrease from main channel to ad-
jacent bars and cross over bar-channel. In
the bar deposit, the porosity decreases down-
stream and upward.
LATE WEICHSELIAN DEGLACIATION, BASE
LEVEL CHANGES AND FLUVIAL
RESPONSE, AIN RIVER, JURA, FRANCE
C. Kasse
Department of Climate Change and Landscape Dyna-
mics, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU Univer-
sity Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
kees.kasse@falw.vu.nl
The behaviour of fluvial systems is con-
trolled by changes in climate, sediment sup-
ply, tectonics and base level which often op-
erate simultaneously. In the present contribu-
tion the effects of base level changes on the
Ain river in eastern France during the last
glacial-interglacial transition will be evalu-
ated. During the Last Glacial Maximum the
river catchment was partially glaciated and
blocked by the Jura ice cap leading to devel-
opment of large proglacial lakes. Rapid
43
aggradation by sanders and Gilbert-type del-
ta’s occurred at the margins of the lakes due
to local high base levels. The associated
glaciolacustrine varves enable to reconstruct
the duration of this high base level phase.
During deglaciation the ice dams disap-
peared and the large proglacial lake in the
Ain valley drained almost instantaneously.
This rapid base level fall resulted in dissec-
tion of the deltas and formation of a wide-
spread gravel sheet on the former lake bot-
tom. Further incision by the Ain formed a
terrace staircase in the deltaic and glaciola-
custrine high-stand deposits. The upper ter-
races may be related to ice-recessional phas-
es. This case study enlarges our understand-
ing of the impact of base-level changes on
the preservation of high-stand deposits
(coastal prisms).
WHY LARGE RIVERS HAVE LOW-ANGLE
DUNES
Ray Kostaschuk
Department of Geography, University of Guelph, Guel-
ph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1 rkostasc@uoguelph.ca
Dunes in flumes are Classic High-Angle
Dunes (CHADs)dominated by bedload trans-
port andcharacterized by steep (>30o) lee
side slope angles and a separation zone with
flow reversalBed load is transported up the
stoss side of the dune and accumulates at the
brinkpoint. Bed load deposited at the brink-
point periodically avalanches down the lee
slope, maintaining a steep angle of repose.
email Field measurements however have shown
that dunes in large, deep rivers are not
CHADS, but are Low-Angle Dunes (LADs)
with low lee side slope angles (often <10o)
and a separation zone that is characterized
by deceleration in streamwisevelocity rather
than flow reversal. LADS are believed to re-
sult from deposition of suspended sand on the
lee side slope and in the trough, resulting in
a lower slope angle.
This study uses reach-averaged data from
seven rivers and two flume studies to test the
LAD hypothesis. Flumes dunes are CHADs,
with lee side slope angles from 38-51o, but
44 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
the field dunes are LADs, with lee slopes
from 5-23o. Lee slope angle decreases as
dune size (height and length) increases, and
increases with height/length. Application of
an excursion length shows that sand sus-
pended at dune crests in the flume bypasses
dune lee slopes, but it is captured on the lee
slope in rivers. The deposition of suspended
sand on the lee sides of large dunes supports
the LAD hypothesis. The critical factor in the
capture of suspended sand appears to be the
streamwise length of the dune lee slope –
greater lengths result in increased sand cap-
ture. Large rivers have large dunes with long
lee slopes and hence lower lee slope angles.
WASH LOAD IN THE PARANÁ RIVER,
ARGENTINA
Ray Kostaschuk, 1 Oscar Orfeo 2
1 Depar tment of Geography, University of Guelph,
Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
rkostasc@uoguelph.ca
2 Centro de Ecologica Applicada del Littoral (CECOAL),
Corrientes 3400, Argentina.
The Paraná River has one of the largest
watersheds in the world, draining significant
portions of Argentina and Brazil. The main
tributary of the Paraná is the Paraguay River.
Virtually the entire wash load, defined as
fine sediment (usually <64 ìm) in permanent
suspension, present in the middle and lower
reaches of the Paraná originates in the Ber-
mejo River, which is a tributary of the Para-
guay.
Surveys in May 2008 were undertaken to
determine the discharge and wash load con-
centrations at three sites in the middle reach
of the Paraná: Bermejo River 50 m upstream
of the confluence with the Paraguay River,
Paraguay River 50 m upstream of the conflu-
ence with the Paraná River, and Paraná River
300 m upstream of Corrientes Bridge. Veloc-
ity and discharge at each site was deter-
mined with an acoustic Doppler current pro-
filer. Surface samples of wash load were tak-
en at each site and analysed for concentra-
tion and particle size using a portable laser
system.
Discharge increased downstream from
about 500 m3s -1 in the Bermejo to nearly
20,000 m3s-1 at Corrientes, due to the in-
crease in watershed area and addition of
flow from tributaries. Wash load samples
were composed entirely of silt and clay and
particle size increased slightly downstream.
Wash load concentrations decreased down-
stream from nearly 8000 mgL-1 in the Berme-
jo to around 140 mgL-1 at Corrientes. Wash
load flux decreased by 50% between the Ber-
mejo and Paraguay and then remained con-
stant downstream to Corrientes. These pre-
liminary results suggest that wash load is
being diluted downstream in response to in-
creasing discharge, but is also being deposit-
ed in the Paraguay River between the Berme-
jo and Paraná.
SEDIMENTATION SETTING AND
QUATERNARY DEPOSITION
Hasan Kuliçi, 1 Jakup Hoxhaj 2
1 Albanian Geological Survey.
2 Geosciences Institute, Polytechnic University of
Tirana.
hkulici@yahoo.com, jakuph2001@yahoo.com
The quaternary depositions, as in the oth-
er regions, also in Albania, are related to
many processes, which are created long time
before, but they continue until today (gla-
ciers, sloppy, end sloppy, river net, sea and
lagoon processes).
Quaternary depositions in general and so
do their sedimentation settings are very rep-
resented and developed along the Albanian
geological structures, beginning from these
continental, marine and their intermediate.
The most completed conception for the set-
tings, relates not only to the dimensions of
the basin development, but also with the re-
lations which are created between them. So
the relation between river-sea-land and the
climatic changes of Plio-Quaternary to today
gets many values. There are rivers which
with their abrasive and conveyer activity fur-
nish the seas with water and sediments, and
are these sediments that elaborate, according
to circumstances in favour or disfavour, of
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 45

forming of the new land. In the dynamic

point of view, it is evidently, these settings DETERMINATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN
and processes of the depositions are not THE TRANSPORT OF BOTTOM MATERIAL
closed systems, but they are open systems AND SUSPENDED MATERIAL IN A LARGE
that develop in neighbour areas, something RIVER, BASING ON GRAIN SIZE
displacing one to the other some other times ANALYSIS OF DEPOSITS IN ARTIFICIAL
extending in disfavour of one of them. WATER RESERVOIRS (THE VISTULA
In this aspect, almost all the relief, oro- CATCHMENT BASIN, POLAND)
genesis and the new Plio-Quaternary deposi- Adam Lajczak
tions and Quaternary one, in Albania are Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia,
aggradations of the regressive marine pro- Bedzinska Str. 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
cesses.
Almost in up 80 % of the surface in Al- The results of grain size analysis of de-
banian territories, these settings and deposi- posits accumulated in most of artificial wa-
tions in them are consolidated under a dila- ter reservoirs of different size in Poland indi-
tory elevator process, associated with consid- cate a considerable predominance of trans-
erable erosion. Just in lower flows of the port of material suspended over the bottom.
rivers, in their embouchures and along all Only some reservoirs (in the mountains and
the shore, the processes are very dynamic and lowlands) lose their capacity as a result of
are distinctly, minimally during two yearly the supply of bottom accumulation. With the
cycles. river course, the grain size in both forms of
transport increases, however, the increase of
References bottom material transport occurs faster. The
increase of the share of bottom material in
Hoxhaj, J., Hysenaj, R., Bojaxhiu, M., Abazi, S., total transport of clastic material with the
K u l i ç i , H . a n d G j o n i V. ( 2 0 0 5 ) S o m e river course results for example from in-
geolog-morphological estimations about the
Albanian main rivers dynamic. Geological
creasing in this direction size of sand frac-
Science Bulletin. Nr.2. tion transport, which in upper sections of
Hoxhaj, J., Hysenaj, R., Bojaxhiu, M., Abazi, S., rivers is rather transported as a suspension.
Gjoni, V., Kuliçi, H. (2005) Monocracies This trend increases with the course of Car-
and negative effects of the sea and river pathian tributaries of the Vistula river, and
cooperation with mainland. Conference for
sea setting, organized from the Environ-
further, with the course of this river, which
mental Ministry of Albania, July 2005 drains susceptible to erosion flysch areas,
Hoxhaj, J., Hysenaj, R., Bojaxhiu, M., Abazi, S., areas covered by loess deposits, moraines
Kuliçi, H. (2005) The Albanian river net and fluvioglacial deposits. As a result, in the
and assessment of their basins. In Delft, lower course of the Vistula river (central
The Netherland for 8 th International, Con-
ference on Fluvial Sedimentology, August
and northern Poland) transport of bottom
7-12. material considerably exceeds transport of
Hoxhaj, J., Hysenaj, R., Gjoni, V., Kuliçi, H., suspended material.
Leka, P. The influence of the geological The results of investigations complete the
conditions in environmental dynamic of gap in the knowledge of the relations be-
Adriatic river basins.. 5 th European con-
gress on regional geoscientific cartography
tween the transport of bottom material and
ad Earth Information and wate system, suspended material in the whole course of
in Barcelona, Spanje the Vistula river and its Carpathian tributar-
Hoxhaj, J., Kuliçi, H. Quaternary depositions ies. The suspended material represents over
along the geological structure of the 95% of clastic material transported in the
Albanides. Fourth International Conference
on the Geology of the Tethys (17-24 No-
upper sections of Carpathian rivers, about
vember, 2008, Cairo University). 90% in the middle sections, about 70% in
the Vistula at the Carpathian foreland, 50%
in the middle section of the Vistula, and
46 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
about 25% in the lower section of this river.
These proportions between the transport of
bottom material and suspended material are
different than the generally accepted model
of fluvial transport in the longitudinal pro-
file of a large river draining mountain, up-
land and lowland areas.
CHANNEL BED ADJUSTMENTS
FOLLOWING A MAJOR DEBRIS FLOW IN A
MOUNTAIN STREAM
Hélène Lamarre, 1 Geneviève Marquis, 1 André G.
Roy, 1 Thomas Buffin-Bélanger, 2 Jay Lacey, 3 Bruce
MacVicar 4
1 Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre-
Ville, Montréal, Qc, H3C 3J7.
helene.lamarre@umontreal.ca
2 Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des
Ursulines, Rimouski, Qc, G5L 3A1. Canada.
3 Wageningen University, PO Box 9101, 6700 HB,
Wageningen, The Netherlands.
4 University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue
West, Ont, N2L 3G1, Canada.
In the absence of consensus on a bedload
sediment transport conceptual model and
predictive equations in mountain streams,
particles tagging may appear an obvious
approach to determine transport rates and
grain displacement lengths. It gives unique
information on the processes involved in sed-
iment transfer within the channel. This study
presents a unique dataset on sediment trans-
port in a mountain stream after a high-mag-
nitude flood, a rapid release of bed material,
and bed degradation.
The experiment was carried out in a
mountain stream located in the French Alps.
The 100-m selected reach has a slope 43%.
Bed material is heterometric essentially com-
ing from hillslopes and travelling in the
channel through gravitational and nival pro-
cesses under conditions of moderate dis-
charges. Topographic measurements were
used to quantify channel bed adjustments
over a three-year period following a debris
flow event. We also used passive integrated
transponders inserted into clasts to track
particles and follow the reorganization of
the grains into bed morphological features.
The tracers were inserted in the upstream
section of the reach, in both bars and local
scour pools after the debris flow in 2005.
They were tracked in 2006 and 2008.
The results show that three years after the
debris flow, preferred deposition areas were
located along the margins of the channel.
Sediment movements are limited considering
that the slope of the channel could have ini-
tiated, by itself, gravitational movements.
Average displacements are short (12 m) and
decrease with an increase in median grain
size until the grain size reaches 800 mm.
Clasts that moved longer distances are de-
posited on the channel margins, a pattern of
Canada deposition that fits the results obtained from
topographic maps. As bed elevations in-
crease at the insertion point, the displace-
ment distances are longer, suggesting that
clasts initially located on bars are more
mobile. This is not surprising considering
their lack of imbrication and their exposition
to the flow after the flood. The stability ob-
served in the reach suggests that the avail-
ability of sediment is limited, thus insuffi-
cient to observe bed sediment reorganization
into structured morphological features on a
short time-scale.
FLOW VELOCITY FIELDS OVER A 15-KM
LONG DUNEBED IN THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI RIVER DURING SPRING HIGH
DISCHARGES
Suzanne F. Leclair 1
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. 1
Now a consultant geologist at Environnement Illimité.,
1453 Saint-Thimothée, Montréal, QC, Canada.
suzanne.leclair@envill.com
Recent results on large-river morphody-
namics revealed that these rivers do not be-
have exactly like smaller systems. Yet to this
day, data are still sparse on bedform and flow
dynamics of large rivers. Surveys were con-
ducted over a 15-km long line in a stretch of
the Mississippi River, which comprises a
straight reach and a meander bend located at
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 47

about 370-385 km from the river mouth.

This paper reports data from three surveys NORTH ATLANTIC TRIASSIC RIFT BASIN
conducted during the falling limb of one of FILLS: CONTROLS ON THE EVOLUTION
the Spring hydrograph peaks, when dis- FROM FLUVIAL TO PLAYA STAGE
charge decreased from 22,750 m 3/s, to Sophie Leleu, Adrian J. Hartley
17,900 m3/s, to 13 470 m3/s (respectively University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Aberdeen,
1.7, 1.3, and 0.98 of mean annual discharge Scotland – UK; email: sophie.leleu@abdn.ac.uk
at the closest upstream river gage station).
Bed elevation was measured with a 1 MHz, The continental deposits of Triassic rift
single, narrow (1.7°) beam transducer and a basins developed along the Central and
high-resolution echosounder coupled with a North Atlantic margins display a similar
DGPS and a motion-sensor compensating for sedimentological evolution. Classically, two
roll, pitch and heave. A RDI 1200 kHz phases of sedimentation can be recognised:
ADCP was installed on the same mount as 1) a lower sand-prone phase characterised
the other instruments, providing data for es- by fluvial deposits including alluvial fan and
timating sediment transport parameters. fluvio-aeolian deposits and 2) an upper fine-
Results show that the largest dunes are grained phase which is a mud-prone unit
not systematically observed in the deepest and may include evaporites which record
part of the channel. The straight reach is deposition in playa/ lacustrine dominated
shallower and often covered with larger environments. Triassic basins that display
dunes than the bend scour. ADCP 2-D results this sedimentological evolution include those
show that although large dunes (up to 4-5 m of the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Morocco and
high) affect the entire column of the flow North America. Although the sedimentologi-
over their migrating path, there are channel- cal evolution of these basins is similar, the
scale flow structures -alternate faster or timing and duration of the phases of fluvial
slower flow-velocity zones that may affect and playa deposition vary from one to an-
their development. Signal intensity from the other. Characterising the transition between
instruments show ejections over dune crests the fluvial and playa dominated episodes of
and related spatial variability of the flow basin development is important in terms of
velocity field. understanding what the controls are on this
The present study is embedded in a re- widespread architectural signal within Trias-
search that aims at linking morphodynamic sic continental basins.
to stratigraphic models (e.g. Paola & Borg- This work presents a section from the
man, 1991; Leclair & Bridge, 2001), and Minas Sub-Basin (Fundy Basin, Nova Scotia)
hence at improving our understanding of where the transition from the fluvial to the
modern systems as well as ancient fluvial playa/ lacustrine stage is exposed. The fluvi-
records. al phase is represented by the Wolfville For-
mation beneath the lacustrine/playa phase of
References the Blomidon Formation. The Wolfville For-
mation presents three fluvial units which
Leclair, S.F. and Bridge, J.S. (2001) Quantita- show well organized and repetitive cycles
tive interpretation of sedimentary struc- developed at different scales. In the upper
tures formed by river dunes. J. Sedim.
Res., 71, 713-716.
part of the succession an increase in ephem-
Paola, C. and Borgman, L. (1991) Reconstruct- eral fluvial/playa-lacustrine deposits and
ing random topography from preserved preservation of aeolian sediments prior to
stratification. Sedimentology, 38, 553-565. playa deposition of the Blomidon Formation
is present. Overall the Wolfville Formation
records retrogradation of a fluvial system
within which cycles are considered to be cli-
matically driven. Despite a possible climatic
48 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
control on the retrogradation of the sedi-
mentary succession, the diachronous nature
of the transition in different north Atlantic
basins suggests that additional controls are
important in defining continental Triassic
Atlantic basin evolution, such as drainage
basin evolution or fault array development
related to internal rift basin re-organisation.
CHANNEL CROSS-PROFILE CHANGE AT
TOUDAOGUAI STATION AND ITS
RESPONSE TO THE OPERATION OF
UPSTREAM RESERVOIRS IN THE UPPER
YELLOW RIVER
Lishan Ran, 1, 2 Suiji Wang, 1 Xiaoli Fan 1,
1 Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land
Surface Processes, Institute of Geographical Scien-
ces and Natural Resources Research, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
ranlishan@gmail.com
2 Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Scien-
ces, Beijing 100049, China.
The application of dams built upstream
will change the input conditions, including
water and sediment, of downstream fluvial
system, and destroy previous dynamic quasi-
equilibrium reached by channel streamflow,
so indispensable adjustments are necessary
for downstream channel to adapt to the new
water and sediment supply, leading the fluvi-
al system to restore its previous equilibrium
or reach a new equilibrium. Using about 50-
year-long hydrological, sediment and cross-
sectional data, temporal response process of
Toudaoguai cross-section located in the up-
per Yellow River to the operation of reser-
voirs built upstream was analyzed. The re-
sults showed that the Toudaoguai cross-sec-
tion change was influenced strongly by the
operation of upstream reservoirs and down-
stream channel armoring thereafter occurred
gradually and extended to the reach below
Sanhuhekou cross-section. Besides, median
diameter of suspended sediment load experi-
enced a three-stage change that was charac-
terized by an increase at first, then a de-
crease and an increase again finally, which
reflects the process of channel armoring that
began at Qingtongxia reservoir and then
gradually developed downstream to the
reach below Sanhuhekou cross-section.
Since the joint operation of Longyangxia,
Qingtongxia and Liujiaxia reservoirs in
1986, the three-stage change trend has be-
come less evident than that in the time peri-
od between 1969 and 1986 when only Qing-
tongxia and Liujiaxia reservoirs were put
into operation alone. In addition, since
1987, the extent of lateral migration and
talweg elevation change at Toudaoguai
cross-section has reduced dramatically,
cross-sectional profile and location tended to
be stable, which is beneficial to the normal
2 living for local people.
Key words: cross-sectional profile; medi-
an diameter; reservoir; Toudaoguai cross-
section; the upper Yellow River.
LATE QUATERNARY ALLUVIAL SEQUENCES
IN THE ARID PIEDMONT OF CORDILLERA
FRONTAL (33º-34º S) MENDOZA,
ARGENTINA
Mehl Adriana, 1 Zárate Marcelo 1
1 INCITAP (CONICET-UNLPam) Av. Uruguay 151,
6300 Santa Rosa, la Pampa. adrianamehl@
gmail.com
The piedmont of Cordillera Frontal, be-
tween 33°-34° S, is located within the do-
main of the South American Arid Diagonal
(AD), an area climatically sensitive to the
Late Pleistocene-Holocene climate changes.
Within this setting, nearly 600 metres of Late
Quaternary deposits are deposited in the
Tunuyán tectonic basin from which only the
uppermost 30 metres crop out, mainly along
the bankfulls of arroyo La Estacada basin
and its tributary arroyo Anchayuyo. The ex-
posed deposits, including four main facies
and two facies associations, make up three
geomorphological units, an aggradational
plain (Late Pleistocene- Early Holocene), a
cut and fill terrace (Middle to Late Ho-
locene) and the present floodplain environ-
ment (last 400 yrs. BP). Facies A represents
channel deposits, it includes lag deposits
(lithofacies Gmm) and channel bars (lithofa-
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
cies Gh). Its participation in the alluvial se-
quences is secondary, being present at the
lower stratigraphic section of both the
aggradational plain and the cut and fill ter-
race. Facies D is composed of stacked layers
(0.4 to 2.5 m) of medium to fine sand and
silty sand (lithofacies Sm, Sr y Src) making
up several meter high sets. It is best repre-
sented at the aggradational plain, suggesting
an overbank environment affected by hyper-
concentrated overflows proximal to the main
stream. Facies E includes horizontal layers of
sandy silts laterally continuous (lithofacies
Fl and Fsm), as well as lithofacies Sm. Fa-
cies E, which represents overflows reaching
distal sectors of the floodplain, is the domi-
nant facies at the cut and fill terrace and sec-
ondarily at the aggradational plain. Over-
bank areas (Facies E and D) register several
alluvial buried soils (lithofacies Pa) that rep-
resent intervals of stability during the aggra-
dation process; limnic levels (lithofacies c)
are also present, being very common in the
cut and fill terrace deposits. The aggrada-
tional plain and the cut and fill terrace units
are covered by a blanket of eolian sand
(lithofacies Sme) that set up Facies J. Mas-
sive silty fine sands (circa 1 meter thick) of
eolian origin accumulated by the end the
Late Glacial are also present at the lower
stratigraphic section of the aggradational
plain.
The facies association (Facies A, D and J)
of the aggradational plain is interpreted as a
distal alluvial fan dominated by overflows
and secondarily sinuous streams. The cut
and fill terrace facies association (Facies A, E
and J) corresponds to a fining upward se-
quence of a sinuous to meandering stream.
Preliminary results obtained point to a cli-
matic control of the degradation episodes
that gave way to the formation of the cut
and fill terrace and the present floodplain,
sometimes during the Middle and the Late
Holocene respectively.
49
RESERVOIR ARCHITECTURE MODELING OF
FLUVIAL POINT BARS: LORANCA BASIN,
SPAIN
L.A. Meijer, K.A. van Toorenenburg, M.E. Donselaar
Dept. of Geotechnology, Delft University of Technology,
P.O. Box 5048, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands.
Hydrocarbon and water recovery in fluvi-
al sandstone reservoirs are complex due to
low net-to-gross ratios and internal litholog-
ical and permeability heterogeneity. Model-
ing of subsurface fluvial architecture is ham-
pered by the sparse data of wide-spaced
wells and therefore has an inherent uncer-
tainty. Outcrop analogue studies with focus
on the size, shape and spatial distribution of
the fluvial elements and their internal perme-
ability distribution may yield the quantita-
tive data sets needed to reduce the modeling
uncertainty.
The aim of the present study is to gain a
better insight in the complex reservoir archi-
tecture of fluvial point-bar sandstones and its
implications for fluid flow. To this end three-
dimensional static grain size and permeabil-
ity models were created, based on an outcrop
study of composite point bars in the distal
area of the Tórtola fluvial system in the Lo-
ranca Basin (U. Oligocene – L. Miocene,
central Spain). Lithofacies characteristics of
the outcrops were compared with earlier-re-
corded outcrop permeability measurements.
Qualitative microscopic sample analysis was
carried out to study the relation between per-
meability values and diagenetic processes.
The study yielded that the composite
point bars consist of various units of fining
up sequences of sandstone and siltstone
beds. The point-bar architecture and associ-
ated grain-size distributions were created by
lateral migration of a meandering river and
vertical stacking of its deposits. Gradual
aggradational phases were interrupted by
abrupt channel migration, meander loop
cutoff and channel fill. Subsequent aggrada-
tion partly eroded such channel fills to vary-
ing extents. Finer grained and/or better ce-
mented point-bar sections do not compart-
mentalize the studied composite point-bar
50 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
sediment bodies but form baffles to flow.
These baffles do not compromise fluid flow
completely, but force it to follow a tortuous
pathway. Late-diagenetic dissolution of gyp-
sum grains as a result of uplift and subse-
quent surface water percolation has largely
increased the permeability.
Hydrocarbon recovery from subsurface
reservoirs may be less than expected from
reservoir dimensions only, due to the occur-
rence of permeability baffles that force hy-
drocarbons to follow a tortuous flow path.
The studied point-bar outcrop can serve
as an analog for fluvial point bar reservoirs
and can thus enhance 3-D reservoir architec-
ture modeling of these structures.
VARIABILITY OF CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
OF LARGE FLUVIAL FAN SYSTEMS IN
ACTIVE FORELAND TECTONIC SETTINGS:
VARIABILITY OF CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
OF LARGE FLUVIAL FAN SYSTEMS IN
ACTIVE FORELAND TECTONIC SETTINGS:
IMPACT ON RESERVOIR ARCHITECTURE
AND CONNECTIVITY
Andrea Moscariello, Chris Bugg, Niels Hovius
Delft University of Technology. a.moscariello@tudelft.nl
Large fluvial fans accumulations result-
ing from dispersive sediment deposition gen-
erally from a single main individual river
stream, represent ideal natural laboratories
to observe and describe the variability of flu-
vial channel morphology and assess the ef-
fects that external factors such as i.e. tecton-
ic, preexisting topography, relative base level
changes, etc., can have on channel down-
stream evolution.
In the South American Andean foreland
region, where contiguous fans occupy an
area up to 750000 km2, it is not uncommon
to observe coeval development of different
types of channel style (e.g. Paranetí, Piloco-
mayo fans). This can be related to a variety
of reasons such as range of different deposi-
tional processes, downstream and lateral
changes in slope and channel con?guration,
variability of sediment source, etc.
As an example, the morphology and sed-
imentation style of the main active channel
of the Pilocomayo ?uvial fan covering over
210000 km2, has been studied using high-
resolution satellite images and detailed
DEM. A detailed geomorphological analysis
of the downstream channel evolution from
apex to toe (ca. 680 km), indicates a strong
variability of channel pattern, type of inci-
sion, occurrence of levees and aggrading
and distribution of flood plains. Specifically,
the latter associated with high sinuosity
channels occurs in the upper third of the fan,
a fluvial style that is commonly considered
to be associated with the lower gradients
occurring at the toe of the fan. In this case,
the unexpected changes in channel patterns
occur in correspondence of the active fore-
bulge which most likely caused a decrease in
gradient inducing the generation of a ‘mini
ponded basin’ in the upstream direction.
Ultimately, this study highlights that the
fluvial pattern of the Pilcomayo fluvial fan
does not follow the classic proximal-to-distal
channel style schemes commonly described
and accepted in the literature for fluvial sys-
tems. Grain-size distribution, facies, facies
associations, sand body geometry, internal
architecture and sand connectivity are in-
stead dependent on local external factors
such as, in this case, the tectonic evolution of
the deeply seated forebulge underneath the
fluvial fan accumulation.
THE FLOODPLAIN SEDIMENTOLOGY OF
COOPER CREEK. WHY BILLABONGS
(WATERHOLES) IN THE CHANNEL
COUNTRY START AND STOP
Gerald C. Nanson, Josh R. Larsen, Dioni I. Cendon,
Simon D. Fagan, Brian G Jones
University of Wollongong.
The Channel Country of western Queen-
sland consists of a low gradient anastomos-
ing channels inset in muddy floodplains in a
desert climate. Annual transmission losses
are large, averaging 75-80% of total volume
along a ~400 km reach of Cooper Creek.
Billabongs (waterholes) are common and
consist of local channel expansions in the
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 51

mud-lined anastomosing network, as well as in the absence of sediment load. Using

isolated scour-channels on a floodplain that Rhodes ternary diagram, comparisons are
is formed of 2-3m of clay-rich mud. Both made with hydraulic geometry data from
the primary anabranching and overbank self-forming channels carrying bedload in
flood channels carry water during large alluvial settings elsewhere. Despite con-
floods but only the billabongs store water straints on channel depths caused at some
for long periods of drought, making them locations by the restricted depth of peat,
vital to the ecology and agriculture of the most stations have cohesive, near-vertical,
region. Despite penetrating a very extensive well-vegetated banks and optimal w/d ratios
underlying Pleistocene-age sand body, they of ~2. Because both depth and width are to
are impermeable much of the time. However, some extent constrained, adjustments to dis-
transects away from several billabongs re- charge are accommodated largely by chang-
veal marked increases in salinity and pro- es in velocity. These findings for the move-
vide compelling evidence that they act as ment of sediment free water are consistent
fresh-water ‘entry valves’ through an other- with the model of maximum flow efficiency
wise impermeable muddy floodplain. The and the overarching least action principle in
base of each billabong is scoured during open channels. Importantly, the depth of
floods, enabling large volumes of surface peat in these swamps rarely exceeds that re-
water to be dumped into the 10 m deep sa- quired to form a bankfull channel of opti-
line aquifer. As flows decline the billabongs mum w/d ratio. The bankfull depth of freely
self-seal with mud such that fresh water can adjusting laterally-active channels in clastic
be stored for a year or more. Transmission alluvium is well known to be related to the
losses along Cooper Creek were initially be- thickness of floodplain alluvium. A similar
lieved to be due to evaporation, however, condition appears to apply to these swamps
the lack of any solute concentration between that grow in situ and are formed almost en-
gauging stations along the ~400 study tirely of organic matter. Swamp vegetation
reach, suggests that of the ~1.8 km3 of sur- is highly dependent on proximity to the wa-
face flow lost from the ~3.0 km3 entering tertable. To maintain a swamp-channel and
the upper end of the study reach, most leaks floodplain system, the channels need to flow
through the base of the billabongs. Such with abundant water much of the time; they
massive losses also account for why the bill- not only offer an efficient morphology for
abongs in the form of large and efficient flow but do so in a way that enables bankfull
channels, terminate after just a few kilome- conditions to occur many times a year. They
tres. They reform repeatedly at locations also prevent the swamp from growing above
where conditions are suitable, but their num- a level linked to the depth of the channel.
bers decline downstream in accordance with Once the channel attains the most efficent
the loss of total flow-volume. cross-section, further growth of the swamp
vertically is restricted by enhanced flow ve-
locities and limited flow depths: the volume
HYDRAULIC GEOMETRY OF NARROW of peat in such swamps is determined by the
DEEP CHANNELS IN PEATLAND hydraulic efficiency of their self-forming
FLOODPLAINS; EVIDENCE FOR channels. The development and maintenance
OPTIMISATION of the hydraulic geometry of these swamp
Gerald Nanson, Rachel A. Nanson, He Qing Huang channels is bio-geomorphic and bio-hydrau-
University of Wollongong. lic in nature and yet accords to the same
optimising principles that govern the forma-
At-a-station and bankfull hydraulic ge- tion of self-adjusting channels and flood-
ometry analyses of peatland channels at Bar- plains in clastic alluvium.
rington Tops, New South Wales, Australia,
reveal adjustments in self-forming channels
52 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
FLOOD RISK ON FLUVIAL MARGINS AND
URBAN AREAS. TUCUMÁN. ARGENTINA
Neder, Liliana del Valle, 1 Busnelli, José1, 2 through this GIS. North-South and West-East
1 INGEMA (Instituto de Geociencias y Medio Ambien-
te), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML. UNT.
Miguel Lillo 205. Tel. 0381 4239456. Fax 0381
4330633. 4000. Tucumán.
2 CONICET, Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y
Técnicas.
ananeder@yahoo.com.ar; jose.busnelli@gmail.com
San Miguel de Tucumán city, capital of
the Province of Tucumán, belongs to the sub-
tropical Northwestern region of Argentina.
The city is located on the eastern foothill of
San Javier range towards a north-south river,
Salí River, which is the main fluvial collec-
tor of the province. The urban growth since
1950 was accelerated yielding an urban ag-
glomerate joining several nearby towns and
represents a metropolitan area that settled
almost the entire foothill from the apical to
distal zones.
The Salí River, which is the main source
of fresh water and irrigation supplying, splits
two districts, one is the San Miguel de Tu-
cumán city westwardly and the other is Ban-
da del Río Salí eastwardly, where a great
urban expansion took place on the river
flood plain, through poor neighbourhoods
and illegal settlements for low income peo-
ple.
The aims of the current research focus on
establishing flood risk categories on the flu-
vial margins of the Salí River, mainly on the
urban areas affected by channel overflowing
under extraordinary pluvial conditions, mod-
eling the water level onto the urban sectors.
The lack of territorial planning, multiannual
climatic variations, intraurban paleochannel
(masked by urbanization), insufficient col-
lecting draining without preservation and
the increasing impermeable and paved areas
with high rates of runoff over infiltration,
have contributed that some zones were more
affected by periodic floodings.
The applied methodology was based on
aerial photointerpretation, satellite images
analysis and topographic maps. The yielded
data were manipulated using the ILWIS soft-
ware and the hydrological and flood risk
and soil use cartography were obtained
cross sections were mapped using GPS.
Flood areas, due to rain excess on the
Gran San Miguel de Tucumán, are located a
few meters from the North and West-South
collector channels, which were affected by
flood processes during the extreme rains,
such as the ones occurred in January of 2007
and 2008.
MAIN CONTROLS ON THE EVOLUTION OF
DISTAL VOLCANICLASTIC SUCCESSIONS IN
CONTINENTAL ENVIRONMENTS: CASTILLO
FORMATION (ALBIAN) OF THE GOLFO SAN
JORGE BASIN, ARGENTINA
José Matildo Paredes,1 Nicolás Foix, 1,2 José Oscar
Allard,1 Ferrán Colombo 3
1 Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan
Bosco, Ruta Provincial nº 1 s/n, Km. 4 (9005)
Comododo Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina.
paredesj@unpata.edu.ar
2 CONICET (Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y
Técnicas).
3 Dpto. de Estratigrafía, Paleontología y Geociencias
Marinas, Facultad de Geología, Universidad de
Barcelona. (08028) Barcelona, España.
Volcaniclastic successions in distal posi-
tions in relation to the source of pyroclastic
detritus are controlled by the interplay
among intermittent-variable volume of fine
ash transported by atmospheric winds during
syn-eruptive stages, contemporary subsidence
of the basin and superficial processes of re-
working of ash and sediments during inter-
eruptive stages. Those controls were evaluat-
ed in the Castillo Formation (Albian) in the
N-S trending San Bernardo Fold Belt, located
170-190 km eastward of the source of pyro-
clastic detritus, the Andean Volcanic Chain.
The unit represents the reworking of pyroclas-
tic ash-fall beds in fluvial, playa-lake and
lacustrine environments, and can be divided
in sixteen lithofacies, grouped in three litho-
facies associations: 1) fluvial channel, with
five sub-types, 2) proximal floodplain and 3)
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 53

distal floodplain. Four major Regions with 3 Durham University, UK.

distinctive features of the fluvial deposits 4 CECOAL, CONICET, Arg.
were recognized, named Regions 1 to 4. At 5 University of Guelph.
basin margin locations (e.g. Region 1) the
unit is a 30m thick succession of deeply bio- Bifurcations around mid-channel bars
turbated ash-fall strata, which records by- are key elements within braided river
passing and condensation of the sedimentary sytems, having a major impact upon the
record in a subaerial floodplain. In areas routing of flow and sediment, upon channel
proximal to the northern basin margin (e.g. change and bar sedimentology. Although
Region 2) the unit is less than 300m thick, it much progress has been made in under-
consists of small-scale, massive sandbodies standing a range of fluvial processes, in-
and sheetflow (or flash-flood) deposits en- creasing attention is being paid to bifurca-
cased in a subaerial or subaqueous flood- tions and the important role of bifurcation
plain. The fluvial system evidences a poorly asymmetry and flow and sediment routing at
integrated network of channels and large these sites. Most studies have been conduct-
variation in discharge. In southern areas ed in laboratory flumes or within small riv-
(e.g. Region 3) the unit is 300-500m thick ers with low width:depth (aspect) ratios.
and consists of thicker fluvial channels and This paper presents results of a field-based
floodplain deposits. Fluvial channels show study that details the bed morphology and
alternation of massive, plane-parallel and 3D flow structure around two large bifurca-
straight to low-sinuosity sandbodies, reflect- tions in the Río Paraná, Argentina, with a
ing a highly variable fluvial dynamic. In ar- width:depth ratio of approaching 200. Flow
eas of high-subsidence, at southern San Ber- within both bifurcations is dominated large-
nardo Fold Belt (e.g. Region 4), the unit is ~ ly by the bed roughness, in the form of sand
1000m thick. Fluvial channels are straight dunes; coherent, channel-scale, secondary
to low-sinuosity, mostly single or multi-sto- flow cells, that have been identified as im-
rey, being part of a well-integrated drainage portant aspects of the flow field within
network in which large variations in dis- smaller channels, and assumed to be present
charge are evidenced by plane-laminated within large rivers, are found to be generally
sandbodies with W/Th>100. Spatial chang- absent in these reaches. This paper discusses
es in thickness, scale and proportion of dif- these findings and outlines how this has pro-
ferent fluvial channels of the Castillo Fm. found implications for flow mixing rates,
suggest that in spite of the widely recognized sediment transport rates and pathways, and
control of volcanism on the characteristics of thus the interpretation of large river mor-
volcaniclastic deposits, the reworking of ash- phology and sedimentology.
fall deposits in large basins located in a dis-
tal position to the source of volcaniclastics
are mainly controlled by intrabasinal pro- COHERENT FLOW STRUCTURES OVER
cesses. ALLUVIAL SAND DUNES REVEALED BY
MULTIBEAM ECHO SOUNDING
Daniel R. Parsons,1 J. L Best, 2 S. M Simmons,1 G.
MORPHOLOGY, FORM ROUGHNESS AND M Keevil, 1 K. Oberg, 3 J. Czuba 3
THE ABSENCE OF CHANNEL SCALE 1 University of Leeds, UK; d.parsons@see.leeds.
SECONDARY FLOWS AT BIFURCATIONS IN ac.uk
A LARGE RIVER 2 University of Illinois, USA.
Daniel R. Parsons,1 J. L. Best,2 S. N. Lane,3 R. J. 3 USGS, Illinois, USA.
Hardy, 3 O. Orfeo, 4 R. Kostaschuk 5
1 University of Leeds, UK; d.parsons@see.leeds. The topology, magnitude and sediment
ac.uk transport capabilities of large-scale turbu-
2 University of Illinois, USA, lence generated over alluvial sand dunes is
54 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
influential in creating and maintaining dune
morphology, and in dominating the transport
of suspended sediment above dune beds.
Much past laboratory and numerical re-
search has illustrated the origin and struc-
ture of such dune-related macro turbulence,
and this turbulence has also been measured
using both at-a-point and multipoint (aDcp)
measurements within natural channels.
However, all of these past field techniques
have been unable to examine the holistic
structure of such turbulence and examine
how this may related to smaller-scale labo-
ratory studies and numerical simulations.
This paper examines the novel application of
multibeam echo sounding (MBES) to exam-
ine flow and sediment flux above a series of
sand dunes in the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers, USA. A RESON 7125 MBES system
was deployed from a small survey boat and
used to map the detailed three-dimensional
topography of sand dunes. Once this bathy-
metric surveying had been completed, the
boat was then moored at-a-point and the
MBES head aligned so that is captured a
flow parallel swath. The backscatter signal
from the multibeam swath was then utilized
to visualize the structure of turbulence as
picked out by the clouds of suspended sedi-
ment. Image sequences were taken in the
trough and near the crests of a large sand
dune and reveal the presence and advection
of large coherent flow structures, with su-
perimposed smaller vortices, that translate
through the measurement volume. These
images are the first such whole flow field
visualizations of dune-related macroturbu-
lence ever collected from a natural alluvial
channel and reveal a complex flow structure,
which bears many similarities to that mod-
elled in past laboratory and numerical exper-
iments. This paper will present images and
animations of the flow structure and com-
pare this to past modeling of coherent vor-
ticity within both smooth and dune-covered
beds.
FLOOD DOMINATED FAN DELTA – CASE
STUDY FROM EASTERN SLOVAKIA
(MARKUÒOVCE)
Marta Prekopová, Juraj Janoèko
Institute of Geosciences, Technical University of
KoÓice, Letná 9, 04001 Slovakia.
marta.prekopova@tuke.sk, juraj.janocko@tuke.sk
Inner Carpathian Paleogene Basin, situat-
ed in the western part of the Carpathian
Mts., has almost 2 km thick sedimentary fill
consisting of terrestrial, shallow-marine and
deep-marine deposits. Several ancient in-
cised valleys with well-exposed fluvial depos-
its occur along the southern margin of the
basin.
Unique exposures along the southern
margin of the basin in the Eastern Slovakia
(Markušovce area) show transition between
fluvial deposits and wave-reworked fan-del-
taic deposits. The common feature of both
systems is a prevalence of coarse-grained
conglomerates alternating with sandstone
facies suggesting dominancy of flooding dur-
ing the deposition.
Terrestrial fluvial deposits are represent-
ed by channel fill complex consisting of con-
glomerates filling shallow and broad chan-
nels alternating with flood plain fine-grained
and silty deposits. A striking feature of the
channel complex is several metres thick in-
terval of clast-supported cobbles and boul-
ders arranged in several dm shallow and few
metres wide channels interpreted as debris
flow deposits. These are thought to be depos-
ited by catastrophic floods transporting the
sediments from distant source areas as sug-
gested by their petrographical composition.
Debris flow facies are at several places inter-
bedded by laterally pinching carbonate con-
glomerates representing the entry of alluvial
fans into the river paleovalley.
Fan-deltaic and shallow-water sediments
are characteristic by conglomerates alternat-
ing with fine-grained sandstones with varied
internal structures (horizontal lamination,
through-cross stratification). Hummocky
cross stratification is also observed occasion-
ally and is probably a result of the increas-
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 55

ing oscillatory component when unidirec- monly believed. Most unit bars are internally
tional current enter the shallow water composed of down-climbing stratasets
(shelf). Remarkable is thin layer of coarse- formed by dunes migrating down low-angle,
grained subrounded and rounded paleozoic unit-bar lee slopes. Hence, channel deposits
cobbles and boulders transported from a dis- are dominated by angle-of-repose cross strata
tant source area and probably representing formed by dunes.
lateral subaquous analog of thick interval
described from the fluvial part of the system.
Fan deltaic deposits were wave-reworked DOES LARGE-SCALE ALLUVIAL
as suggested by through cross stratification, MORPHOLOGY CONTROL DUNE-SET
ripple cross stratifications, thin conglomer- PRESERVATION?
ate beds alternating with sandstones and by Reesink, A.J.H.,1, 2 Ashworth, P.J.,1 Amsler, M.L., 3
bioturbated sandstones. The entire vertical Best, J.L., 4 Hardy, R.J., 5 Lane, S.N., 5 Nicholas,
succession is capped by notable large-scale A.P.,6 Orfeo, O.,7 Parsons, D.R.,8 Sambrook Smith,
through-cross stratified and horizontally lam- G.H., 2 Sandbach, S.D., 5, 6 and Szupiany, R.N. 3
inated sandstone with sharp base (know as 1 S E T, University of Brighton, UK, email:
„Markušovce mushroom”), representing the a.j.h.reesink@brighton.ac.uk.
fan deltaic deposit reworked by waves in 2 GEES, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
shallow water environment. 3 Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argen-
tina.
4 University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
DISTINGUISHING CROSS STRATA FORMED 5 University of Durham, UK.
BY DUNES AND UNIT BARS 6 University of Exeter, UK.
Arnold J.H. Reesink, 1, 2 John, S. Bridge 3 7 Centro de Ecologia Aplicada del Litoral, Corrientes,
1 SET, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK. Argentina.
2 GEES, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; 8 School of Earth and Environment, University of
email a.j.h.reesink@brighton.ac.uk; Department of Leeds, UK.
Geology, Binghamton University, NY, USA.
The thickness distributions of cross-strata
The stratification formed by fluvial unit sets underlie paleo-hydraulic interpretations
bars can be readily distinguished from that and predictions of permeability heterogene-
formed by dunes when observed in extensive ity. Previous work on the proportion of a bed-
2-D exposures. However, angle-of-repose form that is preserved as a set stresses the
cross strata can occur in both unit bars and importance of the variation in bedform
dunes, and it is difficult to distinguish them height and the deposition rate relative to the
in small outcrops and cores. Angle-of-repose migration rate. Although no real consensus
cross strata formed by unit bars can be dis- exists on the relative importance of the fac-
tinguished in cores by the presence of rela- tors controlling set preservation, it is gener-
tively thick and fine-grained bottomsets, ally accepted that sets scale to their forma-
and, to a certain extent, by the relatively tive bedforms, and that both follow log-nor-
large set thickness. Additional information mal distributions. This paper compares the
can be obtained from the cross strata them- thicknesses distributions of cross-strata sets
selves. These criteria are required for correct with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) sur-
interpretation of channel deposits and for veys. Cross stratatified sets are classified into
parameterization of hydrological or reser- three groups based on radar facies, and
voir models. Cores through two modern these three groups are interpreted as: near-
channel belts indicate that only 1-3% of the horizontal dune sets, inclined dune sets, and
channel deposits are composed of angle-of- angle-of-repose unit-bar sets.
repose cross strata formed by angle-of-re- The distributions of medium- and large-
pose unit bars, which is much less than com- scale set thicknesses were measured from 28,
56 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
~4 m long suction-cores taken in mid-chan-
nel bars in the Paraná River, Argentina, and
36 ~ 3m long cores taken in the South
Saskatchewan River, Canada. Results show
that the total distribution of thicknesses of
sets formed by dunes and bars does not fol-
low a log-normal distribution. Instead, the
total distribution is better described by three
separate log-normal distributions: [1] dune
sets associated with near-horizontal (<4 º )
GPR reflections, formed by dunes on near-
horizontal surfaces, and; [2] dune sets asso-
ciated with inclined (>4º) GPR reflections,
formed by dunes on slopes; [3] unit-bar sets,
identified by their large lateral extent, large
thickness compared to bankfull levels, and
association with fine-grained bottomsets. No
clear relationship was found between set
thickness and vertical position in the deposit.
Dune sets associated with inclined GPR re-
flections [2] are 2-2.5 times thicker on aver-
age than dune sets associated with near-hor-
izontal surfaces [1]. This increase in set
thickness can be explained by increased pres-
ervation of sets on slopes, which is attributed
to the decrease in migration rate, height and
length of dunes migrating down large-scale
lee slopes, and the locally increased deposi-
tion rates caused by flow expansion over the
lee slope. Inclined dune sets made up 10-
20% of the investigated river channel depos-
its which equals roughly 40% of all dune
sets. It is therefore suggested here that large-
scale alluvial morphology forms a dominant
control on the preservation of dune sets.
STRATIGRAPHY AND FLUVIAL
ARCHITECTURE OF THE CASTILLO AND
BAJO BARREAL FORMATIONS
(CRETACEOUS) IN THE SOUTHERN END OF
SAN BERNARDO RANGE AND BARRANCA
YANKOWSKI, GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN,
CHUBUT AND SANTA CRUZ PROVINCES,
ARGENTINA
Guillermo A. Richter, 1 Sergio M. Georgieff,2 Javier
G. Sanagua 3
1 Minera Aguilar SA, Jujuy, Argentina.
2 IESGLO, Fac. Ciencias Naturales e IML, UNT. Mi-
guel Lillo 205, T4000JFE - San Miguel de Tucu-
mán. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científi-
cas y Técnicas, CONICET.
3 YPF SA, Unidad Económica Mendoza,
jgsanaguam@ypf.com
The sedimentary record along the mar-
gins of Senguerr River shows fluvial and vol-
caniclastic deposits belong to Castillo and
Bajo Barreal Formations (Chubut Group, Les-
ta, 1968; in Uliana and Legarreta, 1999).
These outcrops form an asymmetrical anti-
cline in the southern end of the San Bernardo
Range. The plunge of this fold continues to
the south in the subsurface.
The field work consisted in the descrip-
tion of three stratigraphic profiles (818m of
thickness) and twenty short lateral profiles,
and the drawing of each sandstone bodies
from a color photomosaic (Wizevich, 1991),
which covered all the outcrop, 4km of
length and 60 to 100m of height.
The major stratigraphic profiles were
used in the facies analysis, stratigraphic cor-
relation and to record the vertical distribu-
tion of sandstone, mudstone and volcaniclas-
tic deposits. The photomosaic allowed to
identify thirty eight channel belts; the de-
scriptions of additional short lateral profiles
permitted the quantitative reconstructions of
five channel belts.
The width of all sandstone bodies varies
from 12m to 523m but the average width for
Castillo Formation is 127m and only 73m for
the Bajo Barreal Formation because the mar-
gins of these sandstone bodies are eroded or
covered.
The thickness of sandstone bodies is high-
er for Castillo Formation than Bajo Barreal
Formation: 3m and 2.15, respectively.
The paleocurrent directions were mea-
sured in the trough cross strata and in the
imbricated pebbles. The average paleocur-
rent direction for Castillo Formation is to-
ward N148º but ranging from N60º to 210º
and the sinuosity is 1.35. Bajo Barreal For-
mation shows a mean paleocurrent direction
toward N107º, varying from N0º to N180º
and the sinuosity is 1.57.
The sinuosity and average thickness of
sandstone bodies in Castillo Formation indi-
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 57

cate low lateral migration and deep chan- high-resolution images of seed particles
nels; while Bajo Barreal Formation shows within the flow. This experimental configu-
higher sinuosity and shallower channel belts. ration will be described to demonstrate the
A stratigraphic correlation between the great potential of the technique for studying
outcrops and the near Barranca Yankowski flow within porous beds.
oil field was performed by using seismic The experimental investigation presented
lines. Due to the paleocurrent directions is herein details experiments in a laboratory
possible to correlate channel belts between flume in which spheres were used, in a sim-
outcrops and wells. The correlation indicates ple geometrical packing, to simulate a po-
a control in the direction of the channel rous natural gravel river bed. The boundary
belts, which is assumed as a syntectonic con- conditions of flow depth and mean flow ve-
trol. locity were varied to examine the changing
flow fields within the first four pore spaces.
Additionally, the impact of the bed topogra-
QUANTIFYING THE DYNAMICS OF FLOW phy, in the form of a simple particle cluster,
WITHIN A PERMEABLE GRAVEL BED was also examined to detail its effect on the
USING HIGH-RESOLUTION ENDOSCOPIC local subsurface flow. This paper will
PARTICLE IMAGING VELOCIMETRY (PIV) present details of the instantaneous and
G.H. Sambrook Smith, G. Blois, J. L. Best, R. J. time-averaged flow fields within a represen-
Hardy, J. R. Lead tative pore volume that quantify the complex
University of Birmingham, UK. nature of the interstitial flow structure.

Flow within permeable river beds plays a

significant role in both the channel morpho- LINKING SURFACE MORPHODYNAMICS
dynamics and in important environmental AND SUBSURFACE ARCHITECTURE IN
processes such as dissolved oxygen ex- BRAIDED RIVERS: NEW INSIGHTS FROM
change, nutrient availability and contami- THE SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER
nant transport. However, current knowledge PROJECT 1999-2009
of this critical ‘hyporheic’ zone remains G. H. Sambrook Smith, N.O. Parker, S.N. Lane, P.J.
largely unquantified, principally due to the Ashworth, J.L. Best, I.A. Lunt, J.S. Bridge, C.J.
technical difficulties involved in collecting Simpson, R.E. Thomas, P. Widdison
velocity data within the pore spaces. Al- University of Birmingham, UK.
though numerical models are being devel-
oped to predict flow pathways within perme- This paper presents results from research
able river beds, their validation also de- that has been quantifying the morphological
mands accurate experimental data at the and sedimentological evolution of the sandy
grain/pore scale. braided South Saskatchewan River, Canada,
Direct investigations using quantitative over the last decade. The project has used a
visualization techniques are inherently chal- novel approach that links Digital Elevation
lenging due to practical difficulties in imag- Models, derived from specially-commis-
ing through the opaque solid matrix of a sioned annual aerial photographs, with re-
permeable bed. In the present study, a fully peat surveys of the subsurface using Ground
endoscopic PIV system is described that has Penetrating Radar. By integrating the two
been developed and employed to collect ve- datasets, not only can the morphological
locity data on the scale of the individual evolution of the river be quantified, but the
pore space. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser has been expression of this evolution in the subsurface
used to fully illuminate the interstitial mea- can also be identified unambiguously. Thus,
surement plane, whilst a 4Mpxl, image-in- the sedimentary architecture can be matched
tensified camera, coupled with a high-sensi- explicitly with the formative bedforms. Fur-
tivity rod-based borescope, allows capture of thermore, these datasets can be compared on
58 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
an annual basis to establish how the deposits
have been reworked and preserved over time
as the braidplain has evolved through bar
migration, avulsion and channel fill. Finally,
the relative impact of different flood magni-
tudes on sediment preservation can be as-
sessed, as the study reach has experienced a
wide range of flows over the past decade,
including a 1-in-40 year event. Highlights of
this unique data demonstrate: 1) the impor-
tance of unit bars in both the morphological
and sedimentological evolution of the braid-
plain; 2) the similarity between the alluvial
architecture of compound bars and channel
fills, 3) that larger floods may increase the
rate of morphological evolution, but not the
scale of the subsurface structures, such that
the deposits of large floods can be difficult to
discriminate from those of smaller floods,
and, 4) the deposits of older bars that have
been reworked provide a better geometrical
analogue to the rock record than those of
recently formed bars that have undergone
only limited modification.
FACIES AND ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS
OF LOWER CRETACEOUS FLUVIAL
DEPOSITS IN WEST-CENTRAL ARGENTINA
Pablo Nicolás Sandoval
Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas (Universidad
Nacional de La Plata – CONICET). Calle 1 Nº 644
(B1900TAC) La Plata, Argentina – Tel./Fax: + 54
221 421 5677. sandoval@cig.museo.unlp.edu.ar
In Agrio del Medio locality (Neuquén
Basin) crops out the Pichi Neuquén Member
of the Rayoso Formation. This unit is 200
meters thick and is conformed by continen-
tal clastic deposits of Aptian and Albian age.
Sedimentological detailed logs (1:100
scale) were made on the oriental flank of the
Agrio Anticlinal on the right margin of the
Agrio river. With this data along with photo-
mosaics of the area, facies were defined, bi-
dimentional panels were made, and litho-
somes were identified.
Lithosome characteristics allowed distin-
guishing between channel units and non-
channelized units. The first group includes
complex sheets, large-scale complex ribbons
(about 100 m long and up to 5 m thick) and
small scale ribbons (a few tens of meters
long and up to 3 m thick). The second group
includes sheets, lobes and fine grained back-
ground sedimentation.
Although some authors have described
these deposits as hyperpicnites, the presence
of dissecation cracks is an unequivocal evi-
dence of sub-aereal exposure during the ac-
cumulation of this unit. Thus, the idea of
subacueous deposition in a water body
should be revised. In that manner, the current
analysis interpret the unit as a fluvial system
dominated by sandy bed load (channel
units), with episodic flooding events on the
alluvial plain area (non-channelized units).
CHARACTERIZATION OF FLUVIAL
GEOFORMS FROM 3D SEISMIC:
EXAMPLES FOR CERRO GUADAL NORTE
OIL FIELD, CHUBUT GROUP
(CRETACEOUS), GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN,
ARGENTINA
Agustina Santangelo, 1 Leonor Ferreira, 1 Sergio M.
Georgieff 2
1 YPF SA, Av. Libertador 520, Km3, 9000 - Como-
doro Rivadavia, Argentina. mlferreirap@ypf.com
2 IESGLO – U N T, Conicet, Miguel Lillo 205,
T4000JFE – San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
CONICET.
The strata of the Chubut Group (Creta-
ceous, Golfo San Jorge Basin, Argentina)
are mainly fluvial and lacustrine deposits.
The fluvial architecture and poro-permeabil-
ity characteristics of the hydrocarbon-bear-
ing reservoirs were controlled by tectonic,
volcanic and volcaniclastic processes con-
temporaneous to the epiclastic sedimenta-
tion. Additionally, the connectivity of sand-
stone bodies was modified according to their
location in relation to the faults. Hence, lat-
eral and vertical changes in the fluvial archi-
tecture are observed in different areas of the
same oil field.
230 Km2 of 3D seismic registration were
performed in the Cerro Guadal Norte oil
field (YPF SA) at the end of 2008.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 59

The use of amplitude anomalies allowed from the levee and alluvial plain to evaluate
us to identify several distinctive geoforms, differences in the dynamic of the sediments,
such as channel belts, crevasse channels, the dominant grain size and the influence of
splays or lobes. Horizon sections made pos- the pluviometric variation on the suspended
sible to determine the shape of channel and solids.
channel belts (wide, orientation, sinuosity In order to determinate the grain size, the
and connectivity) and in vertical sections sieving and pipette techniques were used.
these are interpreted by means of slight am- The graphic method was employed in the
plitude anomalies as well as changes on the calculation of some textural parameters. The
shape of the wavelet. Visher method was used to evaluate different
The analysis of the 3D seismic informa- mechanisms of bed sediment transport (Vish-
tion is a fundamental tool for the study of oil er, 1969). Sediment concentrations were cal-
fields, throughout the integration of strati- culated by filtering using membrane disks
graphic, sedimentologic and tectonic data, size of pores 0.45 µm.
allowing the optimization on the oil wells The Salado River is characterized by high
location, aiming to generate an efficient and concentration of suspended solids, linked
reliable development of the field. with the low rain offer and the high develop-
ment of vegetation.
The grain size of bed sediments was rela-
SEDIMENTOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF tively homogeneous along all the hydrologi-
SUBTROPICAL PLAIN RIVERS IN RELATION cal cycle, where coarse and medium silt
WITH THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE (CHACO, were the dominant fractions.
ARGENTINA) The Tragadero River bed sediment was
Carolina Sartirana, Paola A. Suárez more heterogeneous in grain size. The mean
CECOAL (CONICET) – Fa.C.E. Na. (UNNE). Casilla de size is primarily within the very find sand in
Correo 291 – 3400 Corrientes. the central area of river channel. The sus-
carolinasartirana@gmail.com pended sediment concentration was lower
than the Salado River. The concentration of
The Chaco-Pampa plain is a large mor- suspended solid in both streams was in-
phological unit located in the northeastern creased during the high water periods. Distri-
region of Argentina. A series of local fluvial bution curves of accumulative frequencies
networks were developed in the Eastern re- demonstrated that the suspension is the
gion that presents two important fluvial sub- dominant mechanism of transport.
systems named “Amores” and “Oro” differen- All sediment analysis reflected the partic-
tiated by its genesis and morphologic evolu- ularities of the area of contribution and the
tion. The studied region, including these intrinsic characteristics of the transport
small rivers, presents particular characteris- agent. The results improved the available
tics related to the small slope and subtropi- information about fluvial environments lo-
cal climate. This contribution presents a hy- cated subtropical plains.
drosedimentologic characterization of each
subsystem in order to generate information
about general features of the region and its SOLID LOAD DYNAMICS IN THE DON AND
relation to the annual variations of the rain- KUBAN RIVERS, SOUTH RUSSIA:
fall. INFLUENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC AND
One river from each subsystem was se- CLIMATE FACTORS
lected: Salado River (from Amores sub- Vera Sorokina, 1 Sergey Venevsky 2
system) and Tragadero River (from Oro sub- 1 Southern Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of
system). Bed material load and suspended Science. Russia. sorokina@mmbi.krinc.ru
sediment samples were taken from both riv- 2 School of Geography, University of Leeds, UK.
er channels, as well as sediment samples s.venevsky@leeds.ac.uk
60 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
Don and Kuban are the largest rivers of
South Russia, both terminating in the Azov
Sea. The watersheds of the rivers comprise
almost 500 000 km2, therefore analysis of
dynamics discharge and solid load here is
important task. We analysed dynamics of
discharge and solid load in the Don and
Kuban Rivers for the period 1940-2000
years, using systematic annual observations.
We found for both rivers that there is a
strong variation of the discharge driven
mainly by climate. On the contrary, solid
load strongly depends on the river’s regula-
tion. The load decreased with implementa-
tion of large hydrological projects in 1952
for the Don River and in 1972 for the Kuban
River. Positive correlation between river run-
off and solid load is seen for both cases,
however, solid load of Don is decrease slight-
ly in the last decade of XX century, despite of
approximately constant river run-off. We
analyse decrease in the seasonal peak of sol-
id load and river run-off for both rivers after
construction of reservoirs in 1952 and 1972.
Anthropogenic changes of river run-off in
the Kuban River (minimum 5.7 km3 in
1986) were highest 1970 -1986 period, and
for the Don River (minimum 9.5 êì3 in
1972) similar changes took part in 1972-
1975. Increase in the Kuban River run-off is
observed from 1987 mainly due change in the
precipitation in the region.
Solid load in the Don River has dropped
from 4.0 to 2.8 million tons per year in the
period 1953-1972 after the construction of
Zimla Reservoir. For the Kuban River the de-
crease in solid load was more radical from
8.2 to 0.86 million tons per year in the peri-
od 1973-2004 after the construction of Kras-
nodar Reservoir. This can be explained by
mountainous type of the Kuban watershed.
THE ASYMMETRICAL CHANNEL
DEVELOPMENT IN MODERN ALLUVIAL
DEPOSITS: NEOTECTONIC EVIDENCES.
CUMBRES CALCHAQUÍES RANGES,
ARGENTINA
José A. Sosa Gómez
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales – Universidad Nacio-
nal de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE – San
Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
jsosago@gmail.com
At the foot of the Cumbres Calchaquíes
Ranges (CCR, Tucumán Province), more pre-
cisely the area where this range structurally
approaches the Aconquija System (AS) in the
Tucumán Province, several alluvial fans
have originated, mainly coming from the
CCR slopes. However, these sedimentary de-
posits look very heterogeneous in their mor-
phology.
One of these alluvial fans is located in an
area between El Castillo de las Brujas and
Los Cardones an unusual channel pattern is
observed in the satellite images. The alluvial
fan radius is 6 km; the length from the apex
is 6.8 km and the alluvial fan channels flow
towards Amaicha River. The amount of
channels is highly variable, from the apex to
the central fan 4 alluvial channels can be
observe; while, from the central towards the
Amaicha River the number increase to 13
and the change in degree of incisions, sinu-
osity etc is noticeably abrupt.
This difference between apical and distal
areas is also emphasized by the channel inci-
sions observed sharply in the central zone.
The deepest channels are observed from the
central to the distal alluvial fan area, where-
as in the apex area the channels are shal-
lower. A topographic step in the central area
of the alluvial fan has been recorded in both
field studies and satellite images analysis.
Further, this step or escarpment form a belt,
around 150 m width, normal to the drainage
direction and coincides with the zone where
the amount of channels changes. The belt
has been interpreted as a neotectonic reacti-
vation of the Amaicha Fault, which also
marks the main border between CCR and
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
AS. No deflation on the channels has been
observed, which would indicates only a ver-
tical compressive reactivation of the underly-
ing structural block to the river basin.
EVOLUTION OF THE SAN IGNACIO RIVER:
AN EXAMPLE OF THE TECTONIC, CLIMATIC
AND BASE LEVEL CONTROLS IN THE
RIVER DYNAMIC, TUCUMÁN, ARGENTINA
José Sosa Gómez, 1 Sergio M. Georgieff 1,
1 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales – Universidad Na-
cional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE –
San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
jsosago@gmail.com
2 Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
Técnicas, CONICET.
The orogenic belt of the northern Sierras
Pampeanas in the provinces of Tucumán and
Catamarca, Argentina, has developed an im-
portant drainage network towards the east,
which flows to the Mar Chiquita’s endorheic
system. The San Ignacio River (SIR, Tucumán
Province) is a tributary to that system with a
reduced to moderate discharge (0.09 – 18.4
cumecs). The SIR flows towards northwest
across Potrerillo, Balcosna, Los Pinos and Los
Llanos Ranges. The river is controlled by a
NNW-SSE fault system and forms a deeply in-
cised valley in the basement rocks. Besides,
the igneous-metamorphic massif defines an
uncommon pattern of high sinuosity. Howev-
er, when the river reaches the plain, the mod-
ifications in the channel pattern allow also
identifying unusual changes in the river sinu-
osity across to the plain.
The most noticeable modification in the
sinuosity of SIR is observed in the confluence
with Marapa River, which is manifested as
systematic channel belt migration towards
the north and a continuous increment in the
sinuosity. In the past century, the SIR formed
splays deposits onto the plains, generating
widely-distributed lobes of important dimen-
sions as an arheic system. The La Posta and
El Sueño Streams located to the south show
an analog behavior to the SIR. The El Sueño
Stream shows a straight pattern at the foot-
hills and 10 km in downstream direction
61
forms a splay deposit of 1.5 km 2. At the
present day, this area is mainly covered by
plantations, but there are also areas without
cultivations, possibly due to the seasonal
stream regime and low quality of soil.
Multiple mechanisms are considered to
be responsible for the modifications of the
SIR and other streams at the south of Tu-
cumán Province: tectonic (the slope changes
caused by tilting of the blocks in the subsur-
2 face), climate (transition area of rainfall,
from 800 mm to 600 mm per year), base lev-
el (the migration of Marapa River to the
south produced an early upstream join with
SIR), and finally, and less apparent, an-
thropic activity.
COMPARISON OF DEPOSITIONAL
DYNAMICS AMONG THE BRAIDED,
MEANDERING AND STRAIGHT CHANNEL
REACHES IN THE LOWER YELLOW RIVER
Suiji Wang
Key Laborator y of Water Cycle and Related Land
Surface Processes, Institute of Geographical Scien-
ces and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Aca-
demy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
wangsj@igsnrr.ac.cn
There are braided, meandering and
straight channel reaches along the lower Yel-
low River. The difference in channel planform
certainly is influenced by different deposition-
al dynamics. In this work, according to a se-
ries of data collected from the yearbook of
the water and sediment of the Yellow River,
the different indexes representative channel
depositional dynamics has analyzed. The re-
sults show that, there are evident differences
in depositional dynamics among the braided,
meandering and straight channel reaches in
the lower Yellow River. The channel gradient
is the maximum for the braided reach, which
ranges 0.2‰ ~ 0.14‰, is moderate for the
meandering reach, which ranges
0.14‰~0.10‰, and the minimum for the
straight reach, which less than 0.10%. The
flow velocity of the bankfull discharge is also
larger for the braided, moderate for the me-
andering and least for the straight reaches. Its
62 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
variational extent decreases downwards along
the three channel patterns. The gross power
of stream flow is decreases from the braiding
via meandering to straight reaches and its
ratio is 2.31:1.35:1. The specific power of
stream flow is minimum for the braided,
maximum for the meandering and moderate
for the straight reaches and its ratio is 0.52:
1.18:1. The channel bed sediment is relative
fine and generally lacks the roll component.
The median grain size is 3.0Ö, 3.2Ö and
3.67Ö for the braided, meandering and
straight reaches, respectively, further more,
the sediment sorting is also enhanced along
the different channel reaches downwords. The
sedimentation rate on the channel beds is dif-
ferent among the three channel pattern reach-
es under the influence of the different deposi-
tional dynamics. It is the minimum for the
braided, maximum for the meandering and
moderate for the straight reaches when dis-
charge is moderate to large, and it is approx-
imative among the three channel pattern
reaches, but a decrease tendency downwards,
when discharge is small. In addition, the sed-
imentation rate on braided channel bed evi-
dently depends on the variation of discharge,
and decreases with increasing discharge.
Key Words: Depositional dynamics; Sedi-
mentation rate; Braided chnnel; Meandering
channel; Straight channel; Lower Yellow
River.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF RÍO
QUEQUÉN GRANDE BASIN, ARGENTINA
Liliana B. Teruggi,1 Silvia Sala, 2 Elena Marrochino, 3
María J. Kristensen, 2 Enrica Caporali, 1 Carmela
Vaccaro, 3 María A. Casco, 2 Adrian Cefarelli 2
1 Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale,
Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via S. Marta, 3
– 50139 Florence, Italy. lteruggi@dicea.unifi.it
2 FCNyM, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argen-
tina.
3 Dip.di Scienze della Terra, UNIFE, Italy.
In Argentina, rivers are managed from a
political and an engineering point of view
and the associated specific environmental
problems (e.g. floods, pollution) are solved
with local measures leading to the collapse of
living riverine systems. In Europe and other
developed countries, integration of geologi-
cal, hydrological and geomorphological data
with biological monitoring tools is consid-
ered fundamental in water legislation and
management activities. In the last decades a
new paradigm in the evaluation of surface
waters quality was identified and concepts
like biotic integrity or ecological status were
defined to adequately manage water resourc-
es. In Argentina these concepts only concerns
research and there are no standardized meth-
odologies to be applied in water manage-
ment.
The Río Quequén Grande watershed has a
surface of about 9,940 km2 and is located in
the southeast of Buenos Aires province, Argen-
tina. It outflows into the Atlantic Ocean. The
aims of this ongoing research are: to inte-
grate abiotic and biotic information, to rec-
ognize natural and anthropogenic spatial het-
erogeneity and to test methodologies for the
assessment of ecological status of the Río
Quequén Grande watershed. A multidisci-
plinary approach is being developed.
The watershed was characterized, using
an integrated informative system of the geo-
logical, geomorphological, sedimentologi-
cal, hydrological, geochemical, land uses
and biological information. Textural and
geochemical bed sediments analysis and
chemical water characterization of the main
tributaries and the main course are also
available. Bankfull channel and caliche out-
crops that crossed the Río Quequén Grande
channel were mapped. These data together
with fluvial cross sections were used for the
hydraulic analysis.
As a first approach, a biological moni-
toring campaign was defined for integrating
ecological information with preexistent
data. Samples for principal nutrients analy-
ses were collected. General habitat quality
was also evaluated and benthic algal com-
munities, aquatic and riparian vegetation
were sampled. In general the preliminary
biological results indicate that the moni-
tored rivers have an insufficient water qual-
ity possibly related to the diffused pollution
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 63

due to intensive agricultural activities. Fur- minates in a ‘floodout’, characterised here by

ther research is necessary. In particular bio- an unchannelled reedswamp. In the past
monitoring will need to be continued, and ~60 years, at least four avulsions have oc-
the number of monitoring sites will need to curred in the channel reach immediately up-
be increased. stream of the floodout, forming abandoned
channel-levee complexes and altering the
distribution of water and sediment supply.
MORPHOLOGICAL AND SEDIMENTARY Small tributaries surrounding the wetland
DYNAMICS OF A SOUTH AFRICAN also supply water and sediment to this flood-
FLOODPLAIN WETLAND: FROM out and another floodout located farther
CHANNELLED TO UNCHANNELLED AND downvalley. Augering reveals that organo-
BACK TO CHANNELLED? clastic sediments >3 m thick have accumu-
S. Tooth, 1 T.S. McCarthy, 2 H. Rodnight, 3 A. Keen- lated in the floodouts as broad lobes that in
Zebert, 1 M.D. Rowberry, 2 D. Brandt 2 places have buried the former meander belt
1 Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberyst- sediments. On the steepened, downvalley
wyth University, UK (* set@aber.ac.uk). sides of these lobes, small headcutting chan-
2 School of Geosciences, University of the Witwater- nels receive water that filters through the
srand, South Africa; floodouts. If headcutting through the lobes
3 Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Universität continues, a through-going channel will re-
Innsbruck, Austria. establish upstream, and will eventually link
with the sinuous but now essentially mori-
Understanding the allogenic and autoge- bund channel still present in the lowermost
nic controls on wetland dynamics is essential wetlands. Along the Blood River, the relative
for improving interpretations of wetland sed- roles of allogenic and autogenic factors in
imentary successions and for informing wet- initiating this sequence of channel-flood-
land conservation and remediation schemes. plain changes remain unclear, but the result-
We focus on the ~15 km2 upper Blood River ing adjustments are partially analogous to
floodplain wetlands, KwaZulu-Natal, South the system-scale, morphological and sedi-
Africa, where aerial photographs, field inves- mentary dynamics of those dryland fluvial
tigations, and Optically Stimulated Lumines- systems that are also characterised by a
cence (OSL) ages provide evidence for combination of channelled and unchannelled
marked channel-floodplain changes during landforms (e.g. discontinuous ephemeral
the very late Holocene. Between ~600 and streams, erosion cells). From a management
150 years ago, the wetlands were character- perspective, knowledge of these dynamics
ised by a through-going, meandering chan- can help to anticipate and mitigate undesir-
nel set within a 2.5-km-wide floodplain. able future wetland changes.
Wetland sedimentation resulted primarily
from lateral point-bar accretion of thin (<4
m), fining-upwards successions of gravelly FLUVIAL REWORKING OF PYROCLASTIC
sand to mud, and from oxbow infilling by DEPOSITS: THE CRETACEOUS LOWER
organic-rich mud. A sinuous channel MEMBER OF THE BAJO BARREAL
flanked by oxbows remains in the lower- FORMATION, SAN JORGE BASIN,
most wetlands but during the last 100-150 PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA
years, major morphological and sedimentary Aldo Martín Umazano, 1 Eduardo Sergio Bellosi, 2
changes have occurred upstream, leading to Graciela Visconti, 3 Ricardo Néstor Melchor 1
dramatic changes in the spatial distribution 1 INCITAP (CONICET-UNLPam), Av. Uruguay 151,
and style of wetland sedimentation. The 6300 Santa Rosa, Argentina.
former through-going, meandering channel amumazano@exactas.unlpam.edu.ar;
has been replaced by a straighter channel 2 CONICET-MACN, Ángel Gallardo 470, 1405 Buenos
that decreases in size downstream and ter- Aires, Argentina.
64 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
3 UNLPam, Av. Uruguay 151, 6300 Santa Rosa,
Argentina.
The lower member of the Bajo Barreal For-
mation (Cretaceous of Patagonia) records flu-
vial sedimentation affected by explosive vol-
canism produced in the Patagonian Andes.
Five sections were studied along a N-S
transect in the San Bernardo Range. This
member is composed of sandstone-conglom-
erate lenses interbedded with thicker and fin-
er-grained tuffaceous sheets. Facies associa-
tions (Fa) defined include sub-aerial primary
pyroclastic deposits (Fa1 and Fa2) and epi-
clastic deposits partially originated by re-
working of the formers (Fa3 to Fa7). Fa1 (py-
roclastic ash-falls) is composed of massive or
laminated, fine-grained vitric tuffs showing
mantle bedding and pedogenized tops. Fa2
(pyroclastic flows) consists of stratified lapilli
tuffs with reverse grading of pumice that pass
upward to cross-bedded tuffs, which are
capped by massive tuffs. Fa3 (fluvial channel
belts) includes fining-upward bodies with
channel or ribbon geometry, increasing their
thickness and width from N to S. Fa3 deposits
begin with through cross-bedded conglomer-
ates or horizontal stratified breccias with ver-
tical transition to through cross-bedded or
massive sandstones. Rarely, pause-planes
were detected in the lower part of channel
deposits suggesting intermittent sedimenta-
tion. Paleocurrents indicate paleoflow to-
wards E-SE in all localities. Architectural
analysis mostly suggests multi-channelled and
subordinately single-channelled rivers with
point bars. Fa4 (crevasse-splays) is character-
ized by massive and cross-bedded lobe-
shaped sandstone bodies with subtle fining-
upward trend, participation of mudstone
drapes is rare. Fa5 (sheet-floods) comprises
sheet-like strata of fine-grained tuffs with
scoured bases; commonly they are massive in
the basal part and laminated in the upper sec-
tor. Rarely, there are intercalations of tuffs
and sandstones with different cross-beddings
or pedogenic features. Paleodrainage was
near orthogonal to those recorded in Fa3 de-
posits. Fa6 (debris-flows) is characterized by
sheets to plano-convex bodies dominated by
massive, matrix-supported and intraclastic
conglomerates. Intercalations of tuff levels
with through cross-bedding or paleosols are
scarce. Fa7 (ponds) includes sheet-like to
channel-like tuffaceous mudstone bodies with
plane parallel lamination, asymmetrical rip-
ples or massive structure arranged in coars-
ening-upward cycles. Facies relationship sug-
gests fluvial systems constituted by different
types of fluvial channel belts (Fa3) and flood-
plains where accumulation of primary pyro-
clastic detritus occurred (Fa1 and Fa2), al-
though the remobilization of these by differ-
ent fluvial processes was common (Fa4 to
Fa7).
MULTIPLE-POINT SIMULATION OF
CHANNELIZED AND UNCONFINED
FLUVIAL DEPOSITS: AN EXPLORATORY
MODEL FOR CRETACEOUS OIL-BEARING
SANDSTONES OF CENTRAL PATAGONIA
Aldo M. Umazano,1 Claudio Larriestra,2 Eduardo S.
Bellosi 3
1 INCITAP (CONICET-UNLPam), Uruguay 151, Santa
Rosa, Argentina.
amumazano@exactas.unlpam.edu.ar
2 Larriestra Geotecnologías, Cosentini 1190, Buenos
Aires, Argentina, clarriestra@larriestra.com
3 Museo Argentino Cs. Naturales, A. Gallardo 470,
Buenos Aires, Argentina. ebellosi@sei.com.ar
The results of a multiple-point simulation
of the lower member of the Bajo Barreal
Formation (San Jorge Basin) are shown us-
ing outcrop data from the San Bernardo
Range. Five localities were studied defining
a 68 km length N-S transect. This member is
equivalent to the main hydrocarbon produc-
ing unit of the basin. Multiple-point stochas-
tic sequence simulation is a statistical proce-
dure that allows to simulate categorical vari-
ables, particularly curvilinear facies struc-
tures, from relative frequencies observed in
training images (numerical representation of
a sedimentary model that includes facies
patterns). According to facies interpretation,
the training volume corresponds to a fluvial
model with channel-belts showing moderate
sinuosity (adapted from Pyrcz et al., 2008);
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 65

with the following size x=256 y= 256 and ence. Peat compaction likely plays an impor-
z=128 nodes. Five main facies associations tant role in the evolution of alluvial plains,
are distinguished from outcrop data: fluvial for example by providing extra accommoda-
ribbon-shaped channel-belt sandbodies, tuf- tion space, which affects temporal and spa-
faceous sheet-floods with scoured bases, ash- tial fluvial sedimentation patterns. It has
fall deposits, lacustrine mudstones and pyro- also been suggested that differential peat
clastic flows (ignimbrites). Maximum thick- compaction affects floodplain gradients, and
ness is 350 m in the Southern region, and hence may affect the occurrence of avulsion.
the area is 46000 km2. Alluvial architecture In such ways, peat compaction influences the
of the succession is characterized by the ab- alluvial architecture of both modern and
sence of discontinuity surfaces or trunca- ancient alluvial sequences, which is impor-
tions, so the model possesses a constant num- tant knowledge for e.g. the exploration of
ber of layers. The used algorithm is SNESIM natural resources such as oil and gas.
(Single Normal Equation) defined by Stre- Still, there is a lack of field data to test
belle (2002), and conditioning data come such hypothesis. Therefore, field research,
from five outcrop profiles. Observed orienta- using new methods to quantify peat compac-
tion of sandbodies was used in training im- tion, was carried out in the Cumberland
ages to guide simulation. The cell size is Marshes (Canada) and the Rhine-Meuse del-
x=300 m, y=300 m, z=1.75 m. General fa- ta (The Netherlands), where processes oc-
cies proportion (72% sheet-floods, 22% curring on respectively decades and millen-
channels, 6% the remaining facies) from nia timescales were studied. Most important
original logs is respected in the resulting sim- factors controlling the amount of subsidence
ulated model, where proportion of channels due to peat compaction are 1) the organic
varies between 9-45%, 5-29% and 17-28% matter content of peat, 2) stress imposed on
respectively in the lower, middle and upper a peat layer by loading, 3) thickness of the
sections. The model predicts that channel compressible substrate, 4) relative vertical
sandbodies would be more frequent in the position in a peat layer, and 5) peat compo-
Central area; and upward in the upper sec- sition. Much compaction (=thickness reduc-
tion, which also displays the lower varia- tion / original thickness) occurs shortly after
tion. Lacustrine facies would only occur in loading; within decades up to 43% compac-
middle and upper sections, while ignim- tion might occur. In the Rhine-Meuse delta,
brites and ashfalls in the upper section. This where peat layers are up to ~8 m thick,
model can be improved with more informa- peat compaction has led to subsidence of up
tion from outcrops and wells. to 3 m.
On short timescales (101-102 years), high
amounts of peat compaction locally occur
THE EFFECT OF PEAT COMPACTION ON THE due to loading by crevasse splay or natural
EVOLUTION OF ALLUVIAL PLAIN levee deposits. As the created additional ac-
S. van Asselen commodation space is rapidly filled by in-
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, creased fluvial sedimentation or by peat ac-
P.O. Box 80.115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Nether - cumulation, no gradient advantages are cre-
lands, s.vanasselen@geo.uu.nl ated which could drive avulsion. Peat com-
paction below channel deposits rather leads
Alluvial plains like deltas often contain thick to vertical aggradation and fixation of river
peat layers. Peat has several distinctive prop- channels. In addition, lateral migration is
erties compared to inorganic sediments, inhibited by river banks consisting of mainly
which affect processes and the geometry of peat, which is highly resistant to fluvial ero-
alluvial rivers. One of these properties is the sion. On longer timescales, when the maxi-
high compressibility of peat, which poten- mum compaction potential of peat layers in
tially leads to high amounts of land subsid- an area has largely been reached, delta
66 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
lobes become prone to switch to another part
of the alluvial plain.
ACCOMMODATION / SEDIMENT SUPPLY
FLUVIAL DEPOSITION CONTROLLED BY
BASE LEVEL CHANGES AND RELATIVE SEA
LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS IN THE MATA
AMARILLA FORMATION (EARLY UPPER
CRETACEOUS), SOUTHERN PATAGONIA,
ARGENTINA
Augusto Nicolás Varela
Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas, Universidad
Nacional de La Plata – CONICET, calle 1 Nº 644
(1900) La Plata, Argentina.
augustovarela@cig.museo.unlp.edu.ar
The aim of this contribution is to study
the tectonic, eustatic and climatic controls
over the Mata Amarilla Formation sedimen-
tation. The area selected for the current
study is situated along the southern margin
of the Viedma Lake, where the unit has its
maximum outcropping thickness, reaching
about 350 metres.
The Mata Amarilla Formation (Feruglio
in Fossa Mancini, 1938) is composed of an
alternation of grey, green greyish and dark
mudstones with whitish sandstones deposited
under continental to litoral environmental
conditions. This unit date back to the Early
Upper Cretaceous and is a key element for
understanding the passage from the exten-
sional Rocas Verdes basin to the foreland
Austral Basin. The Mata Amarilla Formation
is deposited over the deltaic Piedra Clavada
Formation and is overlained by the shoreface
facies of the Anita Formation.
Detailed sedimentological logs, facies
analysis and architectural parametres were
useful to define three sedimentary units.
These sections are different in their accom-
modation/sediment supply rates. Paleosol
horizons appear interbedding within the
channel belt along the geological column.
The lower section of Mata Amarilla For-
mation cropping out to the west shows dis-
tal fluvial mudstones with subordinated fine
and medium sandstones. While at the eastern
side, the deposits form a coarsening upward
sequence consisting of estuarine mudstones,
flaser and wavy heterolithic and herringbone
sandstones, and bayhead delta sandstones.
The medium section is mainly fluvial and
shows, from west to east, a definite transi-
tion from conglomerate braided systems to
sandy meandering and anastomosing systems
at the farther end. The upper section shows
fine grained distal fluvial deposits in the
west and littoral setting in the east. In this
manner, the lower and upper section should
represent higher accommodation / sediment
supply conditions, whereas the medium sec-
tion should correspond to a lower accommo-
dation / sediment supply stage.
The three sections show evidence of con-
sistent paleoclimatic conditions, so the vari-
ations in accommodation / sediment supply
registered for the Mata Amarilla Formation
are inferred to be promoted by base level
changes related to relative sea level oscilla-
tions. The strong west to east evolution of
the fluvial systems is in correspondence to
the direction of propagation of the Austral
Basin fold and thrust belt. In this way, the
relative sea level changes of the Mata Ama-
rilla Formation respond to a tectonic control
over a pure eustatic fluctuation.
References
Fossa Mancini, E., Feruglio E. and Yussen de
Campana J. C. (1938) Una Reunión de
Geólogos de Y.P.F. y el problema de la Ter-
minología Estratigráfica. Boletín de Informa-
ciones Petroleras, 171, 31- 95.
3D COMPUTER-MODELLING OF FLUVIAL
DEPOSITS: OUTCROPS STUDIES OF THE
LOWER TRONCOSO MEMBER (NEUQUÉN
BASIN, ARGENTINA) AND IMPLICATIONS
FOR THE CHARACTERISATION OF
SUBSURFACE RESERVOIRS
Gonzalo D. Veiga, 1 John A. Howell 2
1 Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas (CIG-Universi-
dad Nacional de La Plata/CONICET). Calle 1 #644,
B1900TAC La Plata, Argentina.
veiga@cig.museo.unlp.edu.ar
2 Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research (CIPR-
University of Bergen). Bergen, Norway.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 67

Computer-based modelling of fluvial de- width proved more significant than changes
posits has become a crucial tool for under- in the channel-belt sinuosity (this one calcu-
standing and predicting the variability of hy- lated empirically through palaeocurrent dis-
drocarbon reservoirs in the subsurface. The tribution within a channel body). Finally,
precise definition of their key parameters re- slight changes in the petrophysical charac-
quires quantitative geometric data that can be teristics of floodplain deposits changed the
only obtained through the direct observation results of the flow simulations significantly,
of the rocks. Therefore, outcrop analysis of suggesting that a detailed study of fine-
potential targets or the study of suitable ana- grained facies is also of great importance in
logues is important as a means of construct- the characterisation of distal fluvial succes-
ing quantitative models that can be directly sions.
applied to subsurface exploration.
In order to evaluate the relative impor-
tance of some of these variables, a detailed EPHEMERAL ALLUVIAL SYSTEMS OF THE
study of the distal fluvial deposits of the TERUEL BASIN (MIOCENE, SPAIN):
Lower Troncoso Member of the Huitrín For- BASINAL AND CLIMATIC CONTROLS
mation in the central Neuquén Basin (west- Dario Ventra
central Argentina) was performed. The aim Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands,
of the study was, while building robust mod- d.ventra@geo.uu.nl
els that could be applied to the subsurface in
neighbouring areas, evaluate how key ele- The classic stratigraphic record of fluvial
ments that can be only assessed through the systems, with protracted discharge through
3D observation of the sedimentary bodies time, is characterized by highly structured
influence the outcome of dynamic flow sim- and organized deposits both at facies and
ulations. architectural element scales. Relatively less
Models were built considering the distri- attention has been paid to deposits of short-
bution of potential reservoir units (three range, ephemeral alluvial systems in high-
types of channels and sandstone lobes) and gradient, tectonically active areas, which
its contrast with low permeability units may often be confused with alluvial fans.
(floodplains) at a complete unit scale (~80 The Tertiary Teruel Basin (Spain) is an
m thick) in a 56 km2 area. Reservoir units association of half-grabens developed under
were modelled stochastically and populated semi-arid climate. Proximal coarse-clastic
with petrophysical properties from analogue systems developed at basin margins, interfin-
units in the North Sea. Alternative models gering with deposits of low-energy (mudflat
were built changing some of the modelling to lacustrine) distal settings. On a large-
parameters (channel-belt width, sinuosity, scale distinction between overbank and
detailed channel-belt vertical distribution) in channel-fill elements allows to characterize
order to compare the results of flow simula- such alluvial successions as products of
tions and evaluate their influence in the final channelized drainage pathways. On the oth-
results. er hand, facies analysis reveals high vol-
Of all the parameters analysed the main umes of poorly organized deposits resulting
differences raised in the analysis of the verti- from non-newtonian hyperconcentrated flows
cal distribution of sandstone bodies. The and possible in-channel debris flows.
stochastic distribution of channel bodies con- Active tectonics at basin margins and a
sidering only ten vertical logs gave a more semi-arid climate conducive to flash-floods
uniform channel distribution and more opti- probably favored high-gradients, proximity
mistic results, in contrast with the observed to sediment sources and ephemeral- dis-
architecture where channels are more con- charge events, which in most cases resulted
strained to a restricted vertical zone. Results in poor ability to effectively reorganize the
derived from changes in the channel-belt abundant sediment supply during transport.
68 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
An additional role could have been played by
high volumes of Triassic claystones in the
basement. In particular, elevated concentra-
tions of suspended fines in channel flows
would have significantly contributed to
dampen turbulence and raise flow viscosity,
inhibiting sorting and full development of
bedforms or tractive fabrics.
This latter hypothesis can be tested by
comparing deposits of two such ephemeral
alluvial systems dating respectively from the
Late Miocene of the central basin sector and
the Quaternary of the northern sector. Strik-
ing facies differences for the two successions
reveal a prevalence of hyperconcentrated
flows in channel-fills of the older one, ex-
posed to much higher sediment supply from
Triassic sources.
At basin scale, despite the distinctiveness
of fine, basinal and overbank deposits and
high-energy, coarse-clastic alluvial facies,
the overwhelming volume of clay present in
most preserved alluvial units might signifi-
cantly lower their potential as pathways for
subsurface fluid flow.
THE ORIGIN OF THE INCISED CHANNELS
IN THE UPPER SECTION OF THE PLAYA
DEL ZORRO ALLOFORMATION (NEOGENE),
EL CAJÓN VALLEY, CATAMARCA –
ARGENTINA
María Eugenia Vides, 1 Gerardo E. Bossi 2
1 Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel
T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán,
Argentina.
2 IESGLO – UNT, Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE – San
Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
The Neogene succession of the Santa
María Basin at El Cajón Valley (NW-Pam-
pean Ranges, NW Argentina) is divided in
three alloformations, from base to top: Peñas
Azules, Playa del Zorro and Totoral. Litholo-
gy of the fillings indicates sandy fluvial sys-
tems changing up into alluvial fans. Pale-
ocurrent directions indicate a changing pale-
odrainage headed to the East in the lower
alloformation and to SE in the two upper
units. The change of drainage orientation
indicates a growing influence of the southern
half of Quilmes Ranges that started to
emerge above the basin surface at 5 My,
along with the tectonic inversion stage.
Playa del Zorro Alloformation is the bet-
ter exposed and present the maximum thick-
ness (1,280 m in the type stratigraphic pro-
file of Puesto Molle Grande). The unit lays
disconformably over the Peñas Azules and is
covered in turn by the Totoral Alloformation
through a low angle irregular unconformity.
The sandy succession of Playa del Zorro
Alloformation changes in the middle part to
lacustrine deposits formed by green to yel-
low-green shales rich in freshwater ostra-
cods, pelecipods, gastropods and fish scales.
The 40 m thick of the lacustrine deposit de-
creases gradually toward the North. In the
equivalent strata of the Ovejeria Chica strati-
graphic profile the lacustrine facies are ab-
sent. In this particular profile, the uppermost
succession of Playa del Zorro Alloformation
shows a succession of very well developed
incised channels, with a complex architec-
ture of multiple incisions (deep crevassing).
According to the paleocurrents measured
in Playa del Zorro Alloformation, the pre-
dominant drainage was to the southeast,
coming from a north-south oriented source
area that formed the western basin border.
The lacustrine facies are extended in the
north-south direction from a place near the
Ovejeria Chica to the north, down to the
Lillo 251, Agua de la Paloma River in the south, by a
continuous extension of 70 km or more (in
subsurface). The existence of such a lacus-
trine persistent environment is related to the
extensional tectonic stage of the basin evolu-
tion. At the top of the lacustrine horizon
there is a tuff level dated in 5,7 My by Ar-Ar,
very close to the initiation time of the tecton-
ic inversion in the Santa María Basin (circa
5 My). The upper section of Playa del Zorro
Alloformation over the lacustrine facies, is a
coarsening-up succession with an increase
participation of conglomerates, that indi-
cates an increment of tectonic activity and
progressive grow of the relief, due to the
uplift of the surrounding mountain blocks.
As a consequence of the mountain uplift, a
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
climatic barrier grew up in the eastern bor-
der of the basin, creating arid conditions in
the Basin climate.
The incised channels occurrence is relat-
ed in part to the aridification of the climate
(multiple crevassing) but also to the influ-
ence of tectonic changes. Several causes
could be associated to the lacustrine filling
end and the starting of the incised channels
developing. Considering the size and loca-
tion of the lacustrine facies, the changes in
the tectonic environment conducted first to
the disappearance of the paleolake and there
after to a general change of the local base
level of the associated fluvial system.
ARID CLIMATE FLUVIAL SYSTEMS IN THE
SALICAS FORMATION (PLIOCENE), BOLSÓN
DE PIPANACO, LA RIOJA, ARGENTINA
María Eugenia Vides 1, 2 Gerardo E. Bossi 2 Sergio
M. Georgieff 2, 3 sents remarkably similarities with the
1 Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo
T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán,
Argentina. mariuvides@yahoo.com.ar
2 IESGLO – UNT, Miguel Lillo 205, T4000JFE – San
Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
3 CONICET.
The Pliocene sedimentary succession of
the Salicas Formation outcropping around
the Bolsón de Pipanaco is laying over the
Pampean Peneplain, a paleogeomorphic sur-
face build during a Mesozoic and Early Cen-
ozoic extensive erosive period. The Salicas
Formation consists in sandstones channel
bodies interstratified with subordinate tabu-
lar fine sandstones and shales, of the
floodplain.The unit yields fossil mammals
related with small herbivorous forms of
Huayquerian-Montehermosean ages (Plio-
cene). Shales form massive isolated tabular
bodies and show rhyzoconcretions and cal-
cretes horizons, which are interbedded with
floodplain sandstones. At the west of Mazán
Village, a thick siltstone bed, around 1.10 m,
is interbedded with flood plain deposit
formed by decimeter tabular ill-laminated
beds, which could be compared with similar
silty bed accumulated in the present day
69
Señor de la Peña playa lake (“barreal”) a
nearby endorheic pampean valley (“bolsón”).
The fluvial channel facies are normally
composed of lenticular sandy small channels
with smooth erosive bases crowded of irreg-
ular paraclasts of cohesive siltstone. Inter-
stratified with the water laid sandstones,
there are sandy beds with erosive tops
formed by well sorted fine grained sands
with a very well preserved thin lamination.
This association of fluvial poor sorted medi-
um to coarse sands with silty paraclast, as-
sociated with fine well sorted sandstones is
typical of many dry rivers of the area. The
fine sands are reworked aeoilan material
taken mainly from the river floor.
A second well preserved feature of the
channel facies is the presence of high (2 to 5
m) river banks(“barrancas”) with chaotic
concentration of angular blocks and rounded
pebbles. The Salicas Formation facies pre-
205, present day fluvial environment developed
under an arid climate with moderate wind
activity at the end of the winter, and rains
concentrated in the summer (200-400 mm a
year). Arid climate, in this case, could be
considered a latitudinal effect of the southern
convergence of the Hadley and Ferrell cells
in a moment of much lower altitude of the
Andean Cordillera.
CLAY MINERALS RELATED TO FLUVIAL
DYNAMIC. BAJO BARREAL FORMATION.
SAN JORGE BASIN, SANTA CRUZ,
ARGENTINA
María Eugenia Vides, 1 Lucía Marina Ibañez, 1, 2
Leonor Ferreira 3
1 Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251,
T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán.
2 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML – Universi-
dad Nacional de Tucumán. Miguel Lillo 205,
T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.
3 Y P F S . A . Av. P t e . R o q u e S a e n z P e ñ a 7 7 7 ,
C1035AAC-Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires.
Argentina.
Bajo Barreal Formation, Upper Creta-
ceous of San Jorge Basin, Argentina, is an
70 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
important hydrocarbon reservoir. It is com-
posed of fluvial channel sandstones and
flood plain deposits. It involves south of
Chubut and north of Santa Cruz provinces.
The seals are both stratigraphic and structur-
al. The former are represented by mudrocks
laminated beds.This job aims to point out
the relationships between the clay mineralo-
gy and the fluvial dynamic. Moreover, it
tries to set up the possible use of the
mudrocks levels as correlation markers.
Twenty mudstone samples were taken
from two logs described in the outcrops
around La Sin Nombre small Lake, in Cerro
Guadal play. X ray analyses were performed
in order to determine the clay mineralogy.
Montmorillonite, as the main clay mineral,
kaolinite and illite are present in the log de-
scribed at the east side of the small lake.
Smectite-illite mixed layered is present in
one of the samples and two others levels bear
no differenced smectites. Feldespars and zeo-
lites are the accessory minerals. The log lo-
cated to the north of the small lake has beid-
ellita as the main clay mineral. Some beds
contain montmorillonite but never both of
them. Zeolites are present in the base and in
the top of the stratigraphic log. Feldespars
and smectite-illite and smectite-chlorite
mixed layered are present in three samples
located towards the top. Quartz, kaolinite
and illite can be found all along two logs in
the clay size class.
The great abundance of smectites allows
us to classify these mudrocks as belonging
to Clayzone A (Gainza et all, 1984), al-
though these authors call all the smectites as
montmorillonites.
The reasons of the predominance of smec-
tites over other clay minerals could be in: 1)
alteration of pyroclastic materials (Moore
and Reynolds, 1989); 2) weathering in ill
dreinaged environments, swamps or flood
plains in fluvial systems (Berner, 1971); 3)
warm climates with a very dry season (Sing-
er, 1984 and Galán, 1986).
In this case, the abundance of smectites
could be caused by the weathering of pyro-
clastic underlying beds as well as the loca-
tion of the outcrops respect to the wet winds
which could had induced the montmorillo-
nite formation on the lee and the beidellita
formation on the humid exposed slope
(Paquet and Clauer, 1997) in the flood plains
of fluvial systems.
RECONSTRUCTION OF FLOOD EVENTS
OVER THE LAST 150 YEARS IN THE
LOWER CHANGJIANG VALLEY
Shouye Yang, Wang Zhan, Xiaoli Liu, Jianwei Li
State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji Uni-
versity, Shanghai 200092, China.
syyang@tongji.edu.cn
The reconstruction of paleo-floods in the
Holocene has attracted many research atten-
tions for the present global change study. The
core sediments from one newly-emerged bar
in the lower Changjiang (Yangtze River)
mainstream were collected for grain size
and organic elemental measurements, with
the aim to reconstruct the flood events over
the past 150 years. Major grain size parame-
ters such as mean grain size, probability cu-
mulative curve and C-M diagram of the core
sediments clearly indicate the flood event
deposition. Furthermore, the TOC/TN ratios
in the sediments can indicate flood events
considering that during the flash floods,
strong surface erosion in the upper and low-
er valley of the Changjiang could transport a
large amount of undecomposed plant debris
and organic components with relatively low
C/N ratios into the lower mainstream. Based
on 210Pb dating and sedimentary geochemi-
cal results, the research profile recorded sev-
eral large floods happened from 1850 to
1954, which completely agrees with the his-
torical documents and hydrological observa-
tions. It is interesting to note that the flood
events since 1960s cannot be distinctly recog-
nized on the basis of sediment grain size and
organic elemental compositions of the pro-
file, which mainly reflects the intense human
activities over the last fifty years, especially
condense dam construction, which have sig-
nificantly changed the characters of suspend-
ed sediment into the lower mainstream.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 71

Contents

ABSTRACTS OF KEYNOTES SPEAKERS

ON THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TURBULENT FLOWS, SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND

BEDFORM DEVELOPMENT IN ALLUVIAL CHANNELS: 28 YEARS ON ........................ 7
Jim Best

ROLE OF CONTINENTAL MARGIN INCISED-VALLEY SYSTEMS IN THE EMERGING

SOURCE-TO-SINK PARADIGM ........................................................................ 7
Mike Blum

UNIT-BAR DEPOSITS IN ANCIENT RIVER-CHANNEL ALLUVIUM .............................. 8

John Bridge

SEDIMENTOLOGICAL AND STRATIGRAPHIC MODELS: INTEGRATION AMONG SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY AND OIL INDUSTRY. EXAMPLES IN OIL FIELD OF GOLFO SAN JORGE
BASIN, CHUBUT AND SANTA CRUZ PROVINCES, ARGENTINA .............................. 9
Luciano Di Benedettto

AN OVERVIEW OF EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION PROBLEMS IN FLUVIAL SYSTEMS

OF NORTHERN ARGENTINA ......................................................................... 9
Hector Daniel Farias

FATHER OF THE WATERS: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS ........................................ 10

Oscar Orfeo, Daniel Parsons

HISTORICAL PLANIMETRIC CHANNEL CHANGES IN AN ITALIAN RIVER:

THE CECINA RIVER .................................................................................. 10
Liliana B. Teruggi, Massimo Rinaldi

ABSTRACTS

LOWER PALEOZOIC FLUVIAL DEPOSITS OF ARABIA: FACIES, ENVIRONMENTS AND

DEPOSITIONAL STYLES, SAUDI ARABIA ........................................................ 12
Osman Abdullatif

FLUVIAL DYNAMICS, ALLUVIAL ARCHITECTURE AND PALAEOHYDROLOGY OF AXIAL

AND TRANSVERSE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS IN AN EXTENSIONAL SETTING: LOS ADOBES
FORMATION (APTIAN), CAÑADÓN ASFALTO BASIN, ARGENTINA .......................... 12
José Oscar Allard, José Matildo Paredes, Raúl Eduardo Giacosa

VOLCANIC BEDROCK MORPHOLOGY AS A CONTROL ON FLUVIAL PATTERN IN

A SEMI-ARID SETTING ............................................................................. 13
José Oscar Allard, Alejandro Montes, José M. Paredes, Gustavo Gabriel Bujalesky
72 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9

ALTERNATING FLUVIAL STYLES WITHIN THE MARITIMES BASIN COMPLEX OF

ATLANTIC CANADA: A RECORD OF EQUATORIAL CLIMATE CHANGE DURING
THE LATE PALEOZOIC ICE AGE .................................................................... 14
Jonathan P. Allen, Christopher R. Fielding, Martin R. Gibling, Michael C. Rygel

MULTIPLE VALLEY FILLS FROM THE LATE QUATERNARY RECORD OF THE TUSCAN
COASTAL PLAIN (ITALY) ............................................................................. 14
Alessandro Amorosi, Veronica Rossi, Giovanni Sarti, Roberto Mattei, Serena Giacomelli

DEVELOPMENT AND EVOLUTION OF A LATE QUATERNARY FLUVIAL CHANNEL BELT:

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF ANCIENT ANALOGUES ..................... 15
Alessandro Amorosi, Giovanni Sarti

FLUVIAL EVOLUTION AND SEQUENCE MAPS OF INTRAMOUNTAIN BRAIDED RIVERS,

CATAMARCA PROVINCE, ARGENTINA ............................................................... 16
Karina B. Anis, Gustavo E. Rizo, Lucía M. Ibañez, Sergio M. Georgieff

UPPER CRETACEOUS - SEDIMENTARY PALEOENVIRONMENTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN

MARGIN OF THE NEUQUINA BASIN – THE ANACLETO FORMATION AND THE LOWER
MEMBER OF THE ALLEN FORMATION. ARGENTINA .......................................... 17
Paula Armas, María Lidia Sánchez, Estefanía Asurmendi

TECTONIC GEOMORPHOLOGY OF RAMHORMOZ WATERSHED AREA IN THE ZAGROS

FOLD BELT OF SOUTHWESTERN IRAN ........................................................... 17
Arash Barjasteh

HIGH FREQUENCE CICLICITY IN CONTINENTAL SYSTEMS: EXAMPLE OF FM.

TORDILLO, UPPER JURASSIC NEUQUÉN BASIN ARGENTINA ............................... 18
Arregui Carlos Daniel

THE PROCESSES AND DEPOSITIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF BIG RIVERS:

THE RIO PARANÁ, ARGENTINA ................................................................... 18
Ashworth, P. J., Amsler, M. L., Best, J. L., Hardy, R. J., Lane, S. N., Nicholas, A. P., Orfeo, O.,
Parsons, D. R., Reesink, A. J. H., Sambrook Smith, G. H., Sandbach, S. D., Szupiany, R. N.

FACIES CHARACTERISTICS AND ORIGIN OF THE QUATERNARY SEDIMENTS IN

THE NILE VALLEY, EGYPT .......................................................................... 19
Awad, M.H.

HIGH-FREQUENCY VARIATIONS IN ACCOMMODATION SPACE IN PUNTA SAN ANDRÉS

ALLOFORMATION (PLIO-PLEISTOCENE), BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE, ARGENTINA ....... 20
Elisa Beilinson

ON THE INFLUENCE OF DENSITY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MIXING FLOWS AT RIVER

CONFLUENCES ....................................................................................... 21
Best, J. L., Parsons, D. R., Amsler, M. L., Kostaschuk, R. A., Lane, S.N., Orfeo, O.,
Szupiany, R.N., Hardy, R.J.
A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9 73

VISUALIZATION OF DUNE AND BAR-GENERATED TURBULENCE AND SEDIMENT

SUSPENSION: IMAGES FROM THE SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER, CANADA, AND
IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSPENDED SEDIMENT RATING CURVES ............................... 21
Jim L. Best, R.E. Thomas, P.J. Ashworth, S.N. Lane, I.A. Lunt, G.H. Sambrook Smith, C.J. Simpson

CONTINENTAL SHELVES AS THE LOWSTAND FLUVIAL LONGITUDINAL PROFILE ......... 22

Mike Blum

ROLE OF INCISED-VALLEY SYSTEMS IN SOURCE-TO-SINK SEDIMENT ROUTING AND

STORAGE: EXAMPLES FROM THE LATE QUATERNARY NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO
MARGIN ............................................................................................... 22
Mike Blum, Matt Garvin

LAS CUMBRES FORMATION (EARLY PLEISTOCENE), AN EXAMPLE OF THE OROGENY

CLIMAX TECTOFACIES IN THE PAMPEAN RANGES ............................................ 23
Gerardo E. Bossi, Sergio M. Georgieff, Lucía M. Ibañez

THE RED BEDS OF HUALFÍN FORMATION IN THE SYNRIFT STAGE OF PAMPEAN

RANGES, NORTHWEST OF ARGENTINA: PALEOGEOGRAPHIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................ 24
Gerardo E. Bossi, Sebastián Moyano

NATURAL AND ANTHROPICAL FACTORS AFFECTING MODERN RIVERS AND

RESERVOIRS IN A SEMIARID BASIN. TAPIA - TRANCAS BASIN, TUCUMÁN,
ARGENTINA .......................................................................................... 25
Bustos, María Soledad

PALEOFLUVIAL SYSTEMS IN THE WESTERN CHACO PLAIN, TUCUMÁN PROVINCE,

ARGENTINA .......................................................................................... 25
Collantes, M.M., Sayago, J.M., Busnelli, J.

THE RIERA DE SOBIRANS (NE, SPAIN) MODEL OF OVERELEVATED TORRENTIAL

CHANNELS: SEDIMENTARY CHARACTERISTICS ................................................ 26
Ferran Colombo, Oriol Riba, Lluis Rivero

ESTIMATION OF SUSPENSION SEDIMENT VOLUME IN TO THE FUTURE DAM OF

POTRERO DE LAS TABLAS ON RIO LULES. TUCUMAN PROVINCE. REPUBLICA
ARGENTINA .......................................................................................... 26
Anibal Comba, Julian Soto

AN ESTUARINE FOSSIL ASSEMBLAGE FROM THE YACORAITE FORMATION

(MAASTRICHTIAN-DANIAN) AND ITS PALEOENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE.
JUJUY - NORTHWESTERN ARGENTINE .......................................................... 27
Cónsole Gonella, C. A., L.R. Horta, P.E. Herrera Oviedo, M. Griffin, S.M. Georgieff, F.G. Aceñolaza

GRADUAL LATERAL RIVER MIGRATION INDUCED BY LATERAL FLOODPLAIN TILTING;

A 3D NUMERICAL SIMULATION .................................................................. 27
Arjan de Leeuw, Quintijn Clevis, Greg Tucker, Poppe L. de Boer
74 A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9

NEOPROTEROZOIC FLUVIAL-DELTAIC DEPOSITS OF THE AMAZON CRATON: THE

PROSPERANÇA FORMATION, STATE OF AMAZONAS, BRAZIL .............................. 28
Roberto César de Mendonça Barbosa, Afonso César Rodrigues Nogueira, Werner Truckenbrodt

FLUVIAL RESPONSE TECTONIC FOLDING AND TILTING IN THE EOCENE FORELAND

BASIN, NW ARGENTINA .......................................................................... 29
Cecilia del Papa, Fernando Hongn

INTEGRATED MODELING OF FLUVIAL FAN FRINGE SHEET SANDSTONE: TEN BOER

CLAYSTONE MEMBER, SOUTHERN PERMIAN BASIN, NW EUROPE ........................ 29
M.E. Donselaar, I. Overeem, J.H.C. Reichwein, C.A. Visser

GEOMORPHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATACAMA PLANATION SURFACE ........ 30

L.A. Evenstar, A.J. Hartley

A SEDIMENTARY QUANTITATIVE MODEL FOR THE BAJO BARREAL FORMATION

(CRETACEOUS): INTEGRATION BETWEEN OUTCROPS AND SUBSURFACE DATA.
SAN JORGE BASIN, SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA .............................................. 30
Leonor Ferreira, Sergio M. Georgieff, Agustina Santangelo, Yanko Kamerbeek

A FACIES MODEL FOR FLUVIAL SYSTEMS IN THE SEASONAL TROPICS AND

SUBTROPICS .......................................................................................... 31
Christopher R. Fielding, Jonathan P. Allen, Jan Alexander, Martin R. Gibling

SHEET-LIKE FLUVIAL ARCHITECTURE ON REGIONAL SCALES: EXAMPLES FROM THE

CRETACEOUS WESTERN INTERIOR SEAWAY OF NORTH AMERICA ......................... 32
Christopher R. Fielding, Matthew J. Corbett, Lauren P. Birgenheier

SEDIMENTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE OF THE UPPER PALEOCENE

RÍO CHICO FORMATION, GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN, PATAGONIA ARGENTINA .......... 33
Nicolás Foix, José M. Paredes

POST-LGM INCISED VALLEYS IN THE VENETIAN-FRIULIAN PLAIN (NE ITALY) ............ 34

Alessandro Fontana

POROSITY PREDICTION FOR FLUVIAL SAND-GRAVEL MIXTURES ........................... 34

Frings, R.M.

CHARACTERIZATION OF FLUVIAL SANDSTONES IN CERRO GUADAL NORTE OIL

FIELD, GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN, SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA ............................. 35
Sergio M. Georgieff, José A. Sosa Gómez, Leonor Ferreira, María Eugenia Vides, Lucía M. Ibañez,
Ramona Ovejero, Gerardo E. Bossi, Agustina Santangelo, Guillermo A.V. Richter, Karina B. Anis,
Esteban M. Pieroni, Sebastián Moyano, Yanko Kamerbeek

AN ESTIMATE OF THE PATTERN OF FLUVIAL EROSION FOR THE HIMALAYAS ........... 36

Parthasarathi Ghosh
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TRANSITION OF THE MIDDLE AMAZON RIVER IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATIC

CHANGE ............................................................................................... 36
Jose Max Gonzalez Rozo, Afonso César Rodrigues Nogueira, Werner Truckenbrodt

INTERPRETATION AND FLUVIAL PARAMETERS OF SUBSURFACE SANDSTONE BODIES,

CASTILLO AND BAJO BARREAL FORMATIONS (CRETACEOUS) IN THE CAÑADÓN
VASCO OIL FIELD, GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN, SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA .............. 37
Sebastián Grignola, Sergio M. Georgieff, Leonor Ferreira

TECTOSEDIMENTATION AND COMBINED TRAPS IN THE SANDSTONE HYDROCARBON-

BEARING OF THE BAJO BARREAL FORMATION (CRETACEOUS) AT LA SIN NOMBRE
LAKE, GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN, SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA ............................. 38
Raul Gutierrez, Agustina Santangello

SEDIMENTOLOGICAL AND PALAEOHYDROLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE

DEVELOPMENT OF A LATE SILURIAN TO EARLY DEVONIAN ‘SYN-RIFT’ FLUVIAL
SUCCESSION IN THE MIDLAND VALLEY BASIN, SCOTLAND ................................ 39
Adrian Hartley, Stuart Archer, Stephanie Davidson, Tim Davis, Laura Evenstar, Sophie Leleu

DISTRIBUTIVE FLUVIAL SYSTEMS (DFS): A RE-EVALUATION OF FLUVIAL FACIES

MODELS ............................................................................................... 39
A.J. Hartley, G.S. Weissmann, G.J. Nichols

FROM RIVER VALLEY TO ESTUARY: EUSTATIC AND GLACIO-TECTONIC CONTROLS

ON THE EARLY-MIDDLE HOLOCENE RHINE-MEUSE SYSTEM, THE NETHERLANDS ....... 40
Marc P. Hijma

SHEET LIKE CHANNEL BODIES, WEATHERING AND CALCRETES. A COMPARISON

BETWEEN TWO EXAMPLES OF THE DUERO AND ALMAZÁN BASIN (SPAIN) ............. 41
Pedro Huerta, Ildefonso Armenteros, Pablo Gabriel Silva

CHANNEL ABANDONMENT PROCESSES IN THE MAHAKAM DELTA, EAST BORNEO,

INDONESIA ........................................................................................... 42
Salahuddin Husein, Joseph J. Lambiase

PETROGRAPHY AND POROSITY IN FLUVIAL HYDROCARBON–BEARING SANDSTONES.

BAJO BARREAL FORMATION (CRETACEOUS), SAN JORGE BASIN, ARGENTINA ........ 42
Lucía M. Ibañez, Ramona Ovejero, Sergio Georgieff, Leonor Ferreira, Gerardo E. Bossi

LATE WEICHSELIAN DEGLACIATION, BASE LEVEL CHANGES AND FLUVIAL RESPONSE,

AIN RIVER, JURA, FRANCE ....................................................................... 43
C. Kasse

WHY LARGE RIVERS HAVE LOW-ANGLE DUNES ............................................... 43

Ray Kostaschuk

WASH LOAD IN THE PARANÁ RIVER, ARGENTINA ........................................... 44

Ray Kostaschuk, Oscar Orfeo
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SEDIMENTATION SETTING AND QUATERNARY DEPOSITION ................................ 44

Hasan Kuliçi, Jakup Hoxhaj

DETERMINATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TRANSPORT OF BOTTOM MATERIAL

AND SUSPENDED MATERIAL IN A LARGE RIVER, BASING ON GRAIN SIZE ANALYSIS
OF DEPOSITS IN ARTIFICIAL WATER RESERVOIRS (THE VISTULA CATCHMENT BASIN,
POLAND) .............................................................................................. 45
Adam Lajczak

CHANNEL BED ADJUSTMENTS FOLLOWING A MAJOR DEBRIS FLOW IN A

MOUNTAIN STREAM ................................................................................ 46
Hélène Lamarre, Geneviève Marquis, André G. Roy, Thomas Buffin-Bélanger, Jay Lacey,
Bruce MacVicar

FLOW VELOCITY FIELDS OVER A 15-KM LONG DUNEBED IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI
RIVER DURING SPRING HIGH DISCHARGES ................................................... 46
Suzanne F. Leclair

NORTH ATLANTIC TRIASSIC RIFT BASIN FILLS: CONTROLS ON THE EVOLUTION

FROM FLUVIAL TO PLAYA STAGE .................................................................. 47
Sophie Leleu, Adrian J. Hartley

CHANNEL CROSS-PROFILE CHANGE AT TOUDAOGUAI STATION AND ITS RESPONSE

TO THE OPERATION OF UPSTREAM RESERVOIRS IN THE UPPER YELLOW RIVER ....... 48
Lishan Ran, Suiji Wang, Xiaoli Fan

LATE QUATERNARY ALLUVIAL SEQUENCES IN THE ARID PIEDMONT OF CORDILLERA

FRONTAL (33º-34º S) MENDOZA, ARGENTINA ................................................ 48
Mehl Adriana, Zárate Marcelo

RESERVOIR ARCHITECTURE MODELING OF FLUVIAL POINT BARS: LORANCA BASIN,

SPAIN ................................................................................................. 49
L.A. Meijer, K.A. van Toorenenburg, M.E. Donselaar

VARIABILITY OF CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY OF LARGE FLUVIAL FAN SYSTEMS IN

ACTIVE FORELAND TECTONIC SETTINGS: VARIABILITY OF CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY
OF LARGE FLUVIAL FAN SYSTEMS IN ACTIVE FORELAND TECTONIC SETTINGS:
IMPACT ON RESERVOIR ARCHITECTURE AND CONNECTIVITY ............................... 50
Andrea Moscariello, Chris Bugg, Niels Hovius

THE FLOODPLAIN SEDIMENTOLOGY OF COOPER CREEK. WHY BILLABONGS

(WATERHOLES) IN THE CHANNEL COUNTRY START AND STOP ............................. 50
Gerald C. Nanson, Josh R. Larsen, Dioni I. Cendon, Simon D. Fagan, Brian G Jones

HYDRAULIC GEOMETRY OF NARROW DEEP CHANNELS IN PEATLAND FLOODPLAINS;

EVIDENCE FOR OPTIMISATION ..................................................................... 51
Gerald Nanson, Rachel A. Nanson, He Qing Huang
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FLOOD RISK ON FLUVIAL MARGINS AND URBAN AREAS. TUCUMÁN.

ARGENTINA ........................................................................................... 52
Neder, Liliana del Valle, Busnelli, José

MAIN CONTROLS ON THE EVOLUTION OF DISTAL VOLCANICLASTIC SUCCESSIONS IN

CONTINENTAL ENVIRONMENTS: CASTILLO FORMATION (ALBIAN) OF THE GOLFO
SAN JORGE BASIN, ARGENTINA ................................................................ 52
José Matildo Paredes, Nicolás Foix, José Oscar Allard, Ferrán Colombo

MORPHOLOGY, FORM ROUGHNESS AND THE ABSENCE OF CHANNEL SCALE

SECONDARY FLOWS AT BIFURCATIONS IN A LARGE RIVER ................................ 53
Daniel R. Parsons, J. L. Best, S. N. Lane, R. J. Hardy, O. Orfeo, R. Kostaschuk

COHERENT FLOW STRUCTURES OVER ALLUVIAL SAND DUNES REVEALED BY

MULTIBEAM ECHO SOUNDING .................................................................... 53
Daniel R. Parsons, J. L Best, S. M Simmons, G. M Keevil, K. Oberg, J. Czuba

FLOOD DOMINATED FAN DELTA – CASE STUDY FROM EASTERN SLOVAKIA

(MARKUÒOVCE) ...................................................................................... 54
Marta Prekopová, Juraj Janoèko

DISTINGUISHING CROSS STRATA FORMED BY DUNES AND UNIT BARS ................ 55

Arnold J.H. Reesink, John, S. Bridge

DOES LARGE-SCALE ALLUVIAL MORPHOLOGY CONTROL DUNE-SET PRESERVATION? .... 55

Reesink, A.J.H., Ashworth, P.J., Amsler, M.L., Best, J.L., Hardy, R.J., Lane, S.N., Nicholas, A.P.,
Orfeo, O., Parsons, D.R., Sambrook Smith, G.H., Sandbach, S.D., and Szupiany, R.N.

STRATIGRAPHY AND FLUVIAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE CASTILLO AND BAJO BARREAL

FORMATIONS (CRETACEOUS) IN THE SOUTHERN END OF SAN BERNARDO RANGE
AND BARRANCA YANKOWSKI, GOLFO SAN JORGE BASIN, CHUBUT AND
SANTA CRUZ PROVINCES, ARGENTINA ........................................................ 56
Guillermo A. Richter, Sergio M. Georgieff, Javier G. Sanagua

QUANTIFYING THE DYNAMICS OF FLOW WITHIN A PERMEABLE GRAVEL BED USING

HIGH-RESOLUTION ENDOSCOPIC PARTICLE IMAGING VELOCIMETRY (PIV) ................ 57
G.H. Sambrook Smith, G. Blois, J. L. Best, R. J. Hardy, J. R. Lead

LINKING SURFACE MORPHODYNAMICS AND SUBSURFACE ARCHITECTURE IN

BRAIDED RIVERS: NEW INSIGHTS FROM THE SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER
PROJECT 1999-2009 .............................................................................. 57
G. H. Sambrook Smith, N.O. Parker, S.N. Lane, P.J. Ashworth, J.L. Best, I.A. Lunt, J.S. Bridge,
C.J. Simpson, R.E. Thomas, P. Widdison

FACIES AND ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS OF LOWER CRETACEOUS FLUVIAL

DEPOSITS IN WEST-CENTRAL ARGENTINA ..................................................... 58
Pablo Nicolás Sandoval
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CHARACTERIZATION OF FLUVIAL GEOFORMS FROM 3D SEISMIC: EXAMPLES FOR

CERRO GUADAL NORTE OIL FIELD, CHUBUT GROUP (CRETACEOUS), GOLFO
SAN JORGE BASIN, ARGENTINA ................................................................ 58
Agustina Santangelo, Leonor Ferreira, Sergio M. Georgieff

SEDIMENTOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SUBTROPICAL PLAIN RIVERS IN

RELATION WITH THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE (CHACO, ARGENTINA) ....................... 59
Carolina Sartirana, Paola A. Suárez

SOLID LOAD DYNAMICS IN THE DON AND KUBAN RIVERS, SOUTH RUSSIA:
INFLUENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC AND CLIMATE FACTORS .................................. 59
Vera Sorokina, Sergey Venevsky

THE ASYMMETRICAL CHANNEL DEVELOPMENT IN MODERN ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS:

NEOTECTONIC EVIDENCES. CUMBRES CALCHAQUÍES RANGES, ARGENTINA ............ 60
José A. Sosa Gómez

EVOLUTION OF THE SAN IGNACIO RIVER: AN EXAMPLE OF THE TECTONIC, CLIMATIC

AND BASE LEVEL CONTROLS IN THE RIVER DYNAMIC, TUCUMÁN, ARGENTINA ...... 61
José Sosa Gómez, Sergio M. Georgieff

COMPARISON OF DEPOSITIONAL DYNAMICS AMONG THE BRAIDED, MEANDERING

AND STRAIGHT CHANNEL REACHES IN THE LOWER YELLOW RIVER ...................... 61
Suiji Wang

MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF RÍO QUEQUÉN GRANDE BASIN, ARGENTINA .......... 62

Liliana B. Teruggi, Silvia Sala, Elena Marrochino, María J. Kristensen, Enrica Caporali,
Carmela Vaccaro, María A. Casco, Adrian Cefarelli

MORPHOLOGICAL AND SEDIMENTARY DYNAMICS OF A SOUTH AFRICAN

FLOODPLAIN WETLAND: FROM CHANNELLED TO UNCHANNELLED AND BACK TO
CHANNELLED? ....................................................................................... 63
S. Tooth, T.S. McCarthy, H. Rodnight, A. Keen-Zebert, M.D. Rowberry, D. Brandt

FLUVIAL REWORKING OF PYROCLASTIC DEPOSITS: THE CRETACEOUS LOWER

MEMBER OF THE BAJO BARREAL FORMATION, SAN JORGE BASIN, PATAGONIA,
ARGENTINA ........................................................................................... 63
Aldo Martín Umazano, Eduardo Sergio Bellosi, Graciela Visconti, Ricardo Néstor Melchor

MULTIPLE-POINT SIMULATION OF CHANNELIZED AND UNCONFINED FLUVIAL

DEPOSITS: AN EXPLORATORY MODEL FOR CRETACEOUS OIL-BEARING SANDSTONES
OF CENTRAL PATAGONIA ........................................................................... 64
Aldo M. Umazano, Claudio Larriestra, Eduardo S. Bellosi

THE EFFECT OF PEAT COMPACTION ON THE EVOLUTION OF ALLUVIAL PLAIN ............ 65

S. van Asselen
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ACCOMMODATION / SEDIMENT SUPPLY FLUVIAL DEPOSITION CONTROLLED BY BASE

LEVEL CHANGES AND RELATIVE SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS IN THE MATA AMARILLA
FORMATION (EARLY UPPER CRETACEOUS), SOUTHERN PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA ...... 66
Augusto Nicolás Varela

3D COMPUTER-MODELLING OF FLUVIAL DEPOSITS: OUTCROPS STUDIES OF THE

LOWER TRONCOSO MEMBER (NEUQUÉN BASIN, ARGENTINA) AND IMPLICATIONS
FOR THE CHARACTERISATION OF SUBSURFACE RESERVOIRS .............................. 66
Gonzalo D. Veiga, John A. Howell

EPHEMERAL ALLUVIAL SYSTEMS OF THE TERUEL BASIN (MIOCENE, SPAIN):

BASINAL AND CLIMATIC CONTROLS ............................................................. 67
Dario Ventra

THE ORIGIN OF THE INCISED CHANNELS IN THE UPPER SECTION OF THE

PLAYA DEL ZORRO ALLOFORMATION (NEOGENE), EL CAJÓN VALLEY,
CATAMARCA – ARGENTINA ....................................................................... 68
María Eugenia Vides, Gerardo E. Bossi

ARID CLIMATE FLUVIAL SYSTEMS IN THE SALICAS FORMATION (PLIOCENE),

BOLSÓN DE PIPANACO, LA RIOJA, ARGENTINA .............................................. 69
María Eugenia Vides, Gerardo E. Bossi, Sergio M. Georgieff

CLAY MINERALS RELATED TO FLUVIAL DYNAMIC. BAJO BARREAL FORMATION.

SAN JORGE BASIN, SANTA CRUZ, ARGENTINA ............................................... 69
María Eugenia Vides, Lucía Marina Ibañez, Leonor Ferreira

RECONSTRUCTION OF FLOOD EVENTS OVER THE LAST 150 YEARS IN THE LOWER
CHANGJIANG VALLEY .............................................................................. 70
Shouye Yang, Wang Zhan, Xiaoli Liu, Jianwei Li
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A c t a g e o l ó g i c a l i l l o a n a 2 1 – I S S N 0 5 6 7 - 7 5 1 3 – S u p l e m e n t o , 9 th I C F S , 2 0 0 9
Baldis, B. A. 1971. La posición estratigráfica de
Favosites argentina Thomas. Ameghiniana 8:
77-82.
Hollister, L. S., Grissom, G. C., Peters, E. K.,
Stowell H. H. y Sisson, V. B. 1987. Confir-
mation of the empirical correlation of Al in
hornblende with pressure of solidification of
calcalkaline plutons. American Mineralogist
72: 231-239.
Alonso, R. 1992. Estratigrafía del Cenozoico de
la cuenca de Pastos Grandes (Puna salteña)
con énfasis en la Formación Sijes y sus bo-
ratos. Revista de la Asociación Geológica
Argentina 47(2): 189-199.
Valencio, D. A. 1973. El significado estratigrá-
fico y paleogeográfico de los estudios pale-
omagnéticos de formaciones del Paleozoico
superior y del Mesozoico inferior de Améri-
ca del Sur. V Congreso Geológico Argentino.
Actas 5: 71-79, Buenos Aires.
Benton. M. J. y Hitchin, R. (en prensa). Testing
the quality of the fossil record by groups
and by major habitats. Historical Biology.
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Furque, G. 1972. Precordillera de La Rioja, San
Juan y Mendoza. En: Leanza, A. (Ed.),
Geología Regional Argentina: 237-282. Ac-
ademia Nacional de Ciencias, Córdoba.
Camacho, H. H. 1974. Invertebrados fósiles.
EUDEBA, Buenos Aires, 707 pp.
Grosse, P. 2007. Los granitos porfíricos y orbic-
ulares del sector Centro Oriental de la Sier-
ra de Velasco: génesis y significación region-
al. Tesis Doctoral Facultad de Ciencias Exac-
tas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de
Córdoba (inédito) 285 p. Córdoba.
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